Note to Self and Why I Love Genealogy

Note to Self - a Reminder of My Intentions
With so many interesting folks waiting on Ancestry.com with their little green leaves waving at me for attention, I am  not going into such great detail about the folks that follow my 4 great grandparents. I so want to get many of the lines checked. At this rate I will have to live to be a 1000. I do want to do real justice to these "immediate" folks. But I want to try not to get so involved with the ancestors beyond. I have 2 more great grandparents who needs devoted attention and then I must speed up!

Why I Love Genealogy
My son asked me recently what made me so interested in genealogy. I have thought about that question a lot.  Here are a few thoughts that have come to mind. I hope this answers your question, Scott. I  really appreciated your asking it.

• I get so excited thinking about the next person I am going to find.
• I love to get to know people in the present. This is very similar. I still find out about them.
•  It is fascinating.
• There are a lot of nifty things that could be lost forever. The number one thing I would have hated not to learn about is the Cherokee heritage. I love, love, love it. And I love it has been so traceable beyond my wildest dreams.
• Its fun!
• It's a puzzle to be solved that has a personal flavor. I enjoy playing detective and hopefully having other relatives now or in the future care about the information.
• It's educational. I love to learn. I love the challenge of research.
• I always throw myself into a new experience. This one will never, ever be boring.
• It gets to be an obsession, consuming - an addiction.
• I like history.
• I'd rather walk in a cemetery than a mall.
• There is actually a sense of awe, especially with the Cherokee heritage. It was big in both my Grandmothers side (Lucinda) and my Grandfather's side (Albert). I never knew.  There are many many Cherokee to learn about.  I am in awe again today having just verified there is another very famous Chief in a line I have barely touched. So little time.....
• I am getting better as a researcher  - a mandatory requisite.
• If there was a 12 step-addiction program to overcome this addiction, I would avoid the program.

Two quotes I found that I saved because I enjoy them so much - one swells my heart and the other makes me smile every time I read it.

"I saw behind me those who had gone, and before me,  those who are to come. I looked back and saw my father, and  his father, and all our fathers, and in front, to see my son,  and his son, and the sons upon sons beyond. And their eyes were my eyes. As I felt, so they had felt, and were to feel, as then, so now,  as tomorrow and forever. Then I was not afraid, for I was in  a long line that had no beginning, and no end. And the hand of his father  grasped my father's hand, and his hand was in mine, and my unborn  son took my right hand, and all, up and down the line that stretched  from Time That Was, to Time That Is, and Is Not Yet, raised their  hands to show the link, and we found that we were one, born of Woman,  Son of Man, made in the Image, fashioned in the Womb by the Will of God,  the Eternal Father." Extracted from the work of Richard Llewellyn "How Green Was My Valley" and Genealogy is where you confuse the dead and irritate the living.

Martha Ann Miller nee McCullough Wife of Andrew Jackson Miller

Martha Miller March 17, 1858 - April 25, 1936

My Great Grandmother

Her Story Opens With Census

The 1860 US Census finds Martha, 2 years old living, with her 29 year old father Marion, a farmer, her 23 year old mother Jemima, her 5 year old brother Harvey, and her 6 month old brother David. They live in Crooked Creek, Carroll, Arkansas. Both parents were white.  He valued his real estate at $450.00 and the value of his personal estate at $260.00

Note: In the 1860 Census the name McCollough was spelled Mc colloh. In the 1870 census the name was spelled Mcculley.

The 1870 US Census shows changes in Martha's life at the age of 12 with the death of her father in 1869 at the age of 38. In 1870 her mother Jemima remarried to Napolean Bonapart McCreary and had children with this marriage. He was a farmer also.

At 17 she married Andrew Jackson Miller. The 1880 Cherokee Indian Census and the 1896 Cherokee Indian Census showed her in Hickory Grove, Oklahoma where they lived for the next 30 years. .

Twelfth Census of the US Indian Territory, Cherokee Nation, Indian Population, June 1900,  Andy was a farmer and both Andy and Martha could read, write and speak English. Eight children were still at home with ages from 21 to 10 months.The 2 oldest girls still at home Ida and Mahana showed their occupations as servants and the oldest son Robert showed his occupation as farm laborer.

The 1910 US Census Indian Population  reports my great grandmother as 53 years old living in  Delaware County, Oklahoma as a widow. Andrew died in 1906.  She was living with 3 children, Myrtle 15, Pearl 12, and Dawes 10. She had had 12 children with 11 still living. The children reported 1/4 Indian blood and 3/4 white; while Martha reported white. They owned the home (no longer a farm) mortgage free.

 The 1920 US Census finds Martha Ann McCullough at 62 living in Delaware, Oklahoma . She owns the mortgaged farm and lives there with 7 other people including Son Robert L. 33, a widower; Daughter Myrtle T. Sixkiller 25, also a widow; Granddaughter Pearl Sixkiller 6, Grandson Reuben Sixkiller 4, an unnamed 3 month old, Daughter Pearl R. Lamer 21, and Son-in-Law J. Riley Lamar 26. All reported they were Indian except Martha who said white. No blood quantum was reported on this census.

Dawes Roll - Commission of the Five Civilized Tribes

Request for appearance of Martha before the Commission to determine her right to be enrolled as a citizen by intermarriage at 9:00 am January 3, 1907.

January 3, 1907,  Martha A. Miller, 49 Years Old, Living in Fairland, Indian Territory, Claiming Citizenship  by Intermarriage of the Cherokee Nation. She is a widow.

Affadavit of Jemima McCrary, Martha's Mother, supporting her daughter's information as to her marriage to Andrew Miller.

The Dawes Commission, in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, approves her enrollment as a citizen by intermarriage of the Cherokee Nation.

The Attorney for the Cherokee Nation, W.. W. Hastings, accepts her enrollment.

Eastern Cherokee Application

Eastern Cherokee Applications. These records were produced by the Guion Miller Commission of the Court of Claims from 1906 through 1909. The main body of information is formed from 45,000 applications received from living persons who were trying to prove their eligibility to share in the per capita payment made, which amounted to $133.19 per person. In order to be eligible a person had to show that they were descended from a person who was an eastern Cherokee in 1835 usually by proving descent from a person named on the Drennen roll of 1851 (eastern Cherokees living in Oklahoma) or the Chapman roll of 1851 (eastern Cherokees who remained in the east). In addition, those persons eligible would have to prove that they were not "Old Settlers" and that they had not become associated with any other tribe. The applications ask for a tremendous amount of genealogical information. This includes name, date and place of birth, name and age of spouse, names, birthplace and dates of death for parents, names and date for brothers and sisters, names of grandparents, and names of aunts and uncles. In addition, because many persons felt the payment was to be made per stirpes to heirs of Eastern Cherokee, claims for cousins and other more distant relatives are mentioned.

Note: Andrew Miller died in July, 1906, three months before Martha's Eastern Cherokee Application was made.

All the numbers on this cover are suppose to be "kin" to help in the decision of whether to admit Martha's application or theirs. Once again in trying to follow these "leads, " I think their is a false trail of Millers who while Cherokee are not related. But I will not stop to figure this one out!

Martha Ann McCullough Miller Obituary

MIAMI NEWS-RECORD, MIAMI, OKLA. THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1936, page 3

Miller Rites

Rev. W. A. Powers, conducted funeral services Monday at 2 p. m, at the Methodist church for Mrs. Martha Ann Miller, daughter of Mr. Bert McCullough, and Mrs. Jamina McCullough, who was born March 17, 1858, on Bates Prairie,  near Maysville, Ark. She died Saturday, April 25, after a short illness. In September, 1875, she was married to Andrew J, Miller, the husband and one son, Johnnie Miller, preceded Mrs. Miller in death. Surviving are eight daughters,  Mrs. Flora Stevens of Seminole,  Okla., Mrs. Ida Cooley and Mrs.Mahana Malone of Bakersfield,  Cal., Mrs. Lucinda James of Atlanta, Ga,  Mrs. Mamie Hutchinson of Miami, Mrs. Sallie Miller of Fairland, Mrs. Myrtle Sixkiller of Miami and Mrs. Pearl Lamar of Fairland; three sons, Robert L. Miller of Dennis, Okla;, Andrew J. Miller of Fairfax, Okla., and Dawees Miller of Beggs, Okla. Many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren also survive Mrs. Miller. Mr. and Mrs. Miller settled at Hickory Grove in 1875 where they lived for more than 30 years. She moved with her family to Fairland in 1925, where she has since made her home. She was a member of the Methodist church of Fairland.Honarary pallbearers were J. T. Newport, M. J. Campbell, C. A. Hallam, Clyde Freeman, Frank Audrain, and D. M. Morris. Active pallbearers were Levi Crockett,Charley Thomas, Bill Keenan,  John Rubin, R. A. Harper and F. L. Warren

I think the  http://www.findagrave.com website is wonderful. It often enables you to see where your relatives are buried. Another super thing is the ability they give you  to put virtual flowers on your ancestors virtual grave. I must admit it gave me goose bumps when I did. Thanks "find a grave" and the volunteers who have captured and posted the pictures. I leave forget-me-not flowers, but there is a good choice of other flowers.

I sure enjoyed learning about you Great Grandmother Martha.

Andrew Jackson Miller 1845 - 1906

1900 Census

Twelfth Census of the United States Indian Population

Indian Territory, Cherokee Nation, June , 1900, Race Indian,  Born in Indian Territory, Father and Mother Born in Georgia. He was a farmer and could read, write and speak English. There were 8 children still at home with the 2 oldest girls Ida and Mahana showing their occupations as servants and the oldest son Robert showing his occupation as farm laborer.

Andrew Jackson Miller Dawes Application

Dawes Card Information

tribe	last	first	middle	age	sex	blood	card	roll	misc	type
Cherokee	McCray	Jemima		0	F		2981			P
Cherokee	McCullough			0	M		2981			P
Cherokee	Miller	Avry		0	M		2981			P
Cherokee	Miller	Susanna		0	F		2981			P
Cherokee	Miller	Dawes		1	M	1/4	2981	23740		BB
Cherokee	Miller	Pearl		2	F	1/4	2981	23739		BB
Cherokee	Miller	Myrtle	T	5	F	1/4	2981	23741		BB
Cherokee	Miller	Sallie	E	9	F	1/4	2981	23737		BB
Cherokee	Miller	Mamie	J	11	F	1/4	2981	23736		BB
Cherokee	Miller	Robert	L	13	M	1/4	2981	23735		BB
Cherokee	Miller	Mahana		18	F	1/4	2981	23734		BB
Cherokee	Miller	Martha	A	45	F	IW	2981	29		BB
Cherokee	Miller	Andrew	J	55	M	1/2	2981	23732		BB
Cherokee	Miller Jr	Andrew	J	7	M	1/4	2981	23738		BB

Sept. 18, 1900, Andrew J. Miller, Age 55, Post Office Address - Fairland, District - Delaware, Cherokee by Blood - Half Breed, Wife - Martha A. Miller - White, Married 1875, Martha's Parents Were White, 11 Children all Alive (note: John died at 1 year of age)

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My Maternal Great Grandfather Andrew (Andy) Miller

Andrew Jackson Miller 1845 - 1906

Father of Lucinda Miller

I would certainly think my Great Grandfather Andrew Jackson Miller was named after President Andrew Jackson (Old Hickory) who died in the same year my gGrandfather was born. President Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh President of the United States (1829–1837). Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend (1814).

The Battle of Horseshoe Bend  was fought during the War of 1812 in central Alabama.On March 27, 1814, US forces and Cherokee and Choctaw allies under General Andrew Jackson defeated the Red Sticks, a part of the Creek Indian tribe who opposed American expansion, effectively ending the Creek War. His Grandfather was Andrew Miller so it was a natural progression.

I have seen him listed as Andrew, Andrew Jackson, A. J. and Andy. Apparently he used all of these names interchangeably. It made research harder, and there were several different like-named men, Andrew Miller, that gave me a hard time for a while, particularly since one other person on the Dawes Roll was Andrew Jackson Miller and also married to a Martha Miller, except she was Martha E.  I did a good bit of head scratching to figure who was my Andy Miller.

While the documents below were not the first ones I found on Andy or his family, they did almost make me wet my pants I was so excited.

I degress, but I loved, loved finding Civil War documents.  It is amazing to me you can. Yea for computers.

Company Muster-In Roll of Andrew Miller

A Pvt. in Captain Jefferson Hicks' Co., 1 Reg't Cherokee Mounted Riflemen. Age 16 years, Roll dated Fort Gibson, Nov 5, 1861, Muster-in to date Oct 25, 1861. Joined for duty and enrolled Oct 4 1861. Where - Salene District. By Whom Jeff Hicks. Period 12 mos.

Fort Gibson, now located in Oklahoma and designated Fort Gibson Historical Site, guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 until 1890. When constructed, the fort lay farther west than any other military post in the United States; it formed part of the north–south chain of forts intended to maintain peace on the frontier of the American West and to protect the southwestern border of the Louisana Purchase. The fort succeeded in its peacekeeping mission for more than 50 years, as no massacres or battles occurred there. (Wikipedia)

A Receipt Roll for Clothing Dec. 12 1862 with No Signature