Our Indian Heritage

For years my mother has been telling me that we are part Cherokee Indian. She wasn't sure if it came from her fathers mother or his father. Well as a stroke of good luck or just a wonderful miracle I found the missing pieces to the puzzle.

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a fellow named Ken Douglas. He said he had noticed that I had a name on ancestry.com that matched one of his ancestors. My great-grandfather William Riley Smith was listed on my pedigree chart with his spouses name as only Mary. We have never been able to trace back any farther than him. Well, Ken told me Mary's name was Mary Ann Tolliver. He also sent me a record showing our Creek Indian Heritage, not Cherokee. I was surprised but estatic at the same time. Ken turns out to be my second cousin. His grandmother and my grandfather were brother and sister.

The Indian Roll is called; Creeks by Blood. It shows my grandfather William Thomas Smith and his brothers and sisters, plus it shows Mary and William Riley Smith. Ken tells me that Mary Ann was also called Mollie. The Indian roll also shows their Indian Roll numbers. These numbers are proof to the government that we are part indian and entitled to benefits. What kind of benefits I'm not sure, but it would be fun to look into.

For the reason of simplicity I would like my brother and first cousins to know that when I say "my" it refers to them as well. Also, my kids is the same as my neices and nephews. My grandchildren is the same as all of my brothers grandchildren, my cousins grandchildren and so on. It will be too difficult to state me or my, my brother and my first cousins, neices or nephews on each post. I hope you understand. I love you guys!

Since grandpa William Riley Smith is my great-grandfather, he is my kids great-great-grandfather and all of my grandchildren's great-great-great-grandfather. Awesome!