GENERATIONS
I am told by my grandmothers that I am of Cherokee (Tsalagi or Ani Yv Wiya) and Chippewa (Ojibwa, Anishenabe) ancestry. This is not proven, but I do honor this tradition.
My other ancestral origins outside the United States include Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, England, Wales, Spain, Italy, France, and the Netherlands, so far.
Ezra Ozero Sparks, son of Isaac and Anna Beck Sparks of Darke Co., OH, and his bride, Iva Mae Chenoweth Sparks, daughter of Jacob Arthur and Ida Mae Harter Chenoweth of Randolph and Wayne Co's. in Indiana.
My ancestral homes in the United States are in Chatham, Orange Co. and Alamance Co., North Carolina, Randolph and Wayne Counties, Indiana; Darke Co., Miami Co. and Montgomery Co. in Ohio; York Co., Pennsylvania, and also Maryland and Virginia.
The Surnames I'm researching are as follows:
AKE ALAN ALLEN ANDERSON BAILEY BALDWIN BARGER BAUMAN BECK BECKWITH BEIGLER BIGLER BLOCHER BOLLEN BOLLINGER BOOMERSHINE BOWATER BRODBECK BURCHAM CALVERT CARR CARVER CHENOWETH CLYNE COLLINS CORBETT COWAN COX CRAWMER/CROMER CRIPE CROSS CRUM CRUMRINE CRUTCHFIELD CYPERT DAVIS DERWACHTER DIXON DYE EIDSON ELLER ESSICK FITHIAN FORSYTHE FREYER FULTON GEARHART/GEARHARDT GEIGER GEORGG GOUBEAUX GREER GREGG GRESSLEYS HADLEY HARCOPE HARRIS HARTER HERVIE HICKS HOBBS HOFFMAN HUBER KERR KNOOP KURTZIN LAEY LAMB MACGREGOR MARSHALL MCPHERSON MENDENHALL METZGAR MILLER MINER/MINOR MOON MURER NICHOLAS OVERMAN PALMER PIKE/PYKE PRICE PRICKETT PUTERBAUGH/PUTTERBAUGH RAY REINHEIMER RICHARDS ROSER ROWE RUSH SAYERS/SAYRE SCARLETT SCHMID SCHWABIN SEIPERT SOLOTHURMANN SPARKS STETTLER/STETLER/STATLER STEWART STONER STOUT STRODE STUART SULLIVAN SWARTZEL/SWARTSEL/SCHWARTZEL TEAFORD THOMPSON ULRICH UPDIKE VAN METER VAN PRINCIS/VAN PRINCIN VAUQELLEN VESTAL WEBER WEGGANAST WELKER WILSFORD WISE WORKMAN WRIGHT ZETZEL
This is a Four-generation picture. I am the baby seated in my Great-grandmother's lap.
She was Maude A. (Moon) Harris, daughter of
Larkin and Melinda (Allen) Moon. My grandmother, Leona Fern (Harris) Sparks
and my mother, Sheila Marie (Sparks) Statler, are also pictured.
My Native connection comes through my mother on both sides of her family. Her G-Grandfather on her mother's side was Larkin Moon, said to be Cherokee and Scots-Irish.
Her father, Earl Monroe Sparks is believed to have been of Chippewa blood. He was a Pentecostal Preacher, who was married to Leona Fern Harris, who is decended from Larkin Moon, said to be Cherokee. Grandpa Sparks denied his Native blood to his dying breath. He preferred, instead, to hold to what he called his "Black Dutch" label.
Were you told you have "Black Dutch" or "Black Irish" in your bloodline? Students of Eastern Native history and genealogy understand what "Black Dutch or Irish" really means.
My grandfather's oldest sister, Marie Sparks Clay, told me of their Chippewa ancestry. In both cases, however, the "Indians" were said to have been adopted into the families. I have yet to find conclusive evidence, and may never find it. However, I have no plans to discontinue my search.
I have only recently been notified of my blood connection to the legendary Phoebe Ann Moses/Mosey, otherwise known as
"Annie Oakley"!
I grew up in the same town where she lived and died. I checked it out and, sure enough, I am a direct cousin to her! It was said she was adopted by Sitting Bull, himself!
(He rode with her and Buffalo Bill in the Wild West Show)
So, there's another Native connection, albeit, remote and not blood related.
I am also of European ancestry, such as Scottish, Irish and English. According to my grandmother on my father's side, we are decended from the MacGregor Clan. That surname was changed to "Greer", among others, after the Clan Campbell fighting for the British Crown, pillaged and took over the lands of the MacGregors. Their highland homes, arms, even their own tartans were taken, and their name, "MacGregor" became illegal to bear.
I am also decended from both of the Stewart/Stuart clans of Scotland, and the McPherson's.
The Chenoweth's (Trevelesic) came from Wales, the Calvert's from England, the Statler's are from Switzerland. Most of my Irish ancestors were "Quakers".
Then there's my great German ancestry!
I had two great-great, etc. grandfathers who served in the Revolutionary War. One was a Hessian soldier, Henry Boomershine (Bommersheim), brought over here to fight on behalf of King George I of England. Henry was taken prisoner and escaped, only to make his home in Pennsylvania and marry the daughter of my other Revolutionary War Grandfather, Mathias Swartsel.
He served under Gen. George Washington, as was inscribed upon his headstone, and a monument erected in his honor.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MY FAMILY LINES.
YOURS MIGHT BE CONNECTED!
You never know just who or what you'll find in your family tree once you begin shaking it! So now that you know something of my genealogy, would you like to learn some of your own?
If you believe you're of Cherokee ancestry, I may be able to help you find that elusive great-great grandmother or grandfather.
Send me an e-mail at im_cherokee@hotmail.com and I'll see what I can find in my own library.
To start researching your own genealogy, go to Ancestry.com. You'll be amazed at how much information you'll come up with, using only names and birth dates!
Just click on the link below to get started
ANCESTRY.COM
BOOKS
I suggest reading the following to do your own search.
CHEROKEE PROUD, 2nd Edition, by Tony Mack McClure, Ph.D.
This is, in my opinion and that of many others, the "best" publication to date, which helps us to trace and honor our Cherokee Ancestors! He offers so many ways of searching for those elusive ancestors that we do not commonly think to utilize.
(Available at AMAZON.COM BOOKS)
After reading CHEROKEE PROUD, you'll want to utilize the following books in your search.
CHEROKEE ROOTS, Volume 1, EASTERN CHEROKEE, by Bob Blankenship
"Official United States Government Census of the Cherokee Indina from 1817 through 1924, residing East of the Mississippi River"
(Available only as a part of the TWO-Volume set at AMAZON.COM BOOKS)
CHEROKEE ROOTS, Volume 2, WESTERN CHEROKEE, by Bob Blankenship
Census of the Cherokees from 1851 through 1909, residing West of the Mississippi. This also includes the Old Settler, Drennen, Dawes, and the Guion Miller Roll West.
(Available at AMAZON.COM BOOKS)
DAWES ROLL "PLUS" of the CHEROKEE NATION "1898", by Bob Blankenship
Provides more detailed information than the "CHEROKEE ROOTS" books.
(Available at AMAZON.COM BOOKS)
GUION MILLER ROLL "PLUS" of EASTERN CHEROKEE EAST AND WEST OF MISSISSIPPI "1909", by Bob Blankenship
These have lists of the names of Cherokees taken down when the government was trying to supposedly organize the people.
(Available under the title Miller Roll "Plus" at AMAZON.COM BOOKS)
EXPLORING YOUR CHEROKEE ANCESTRY, by Thomas G. Mooney
This is a Basic "Cherokee" genealogical research guide. (Available through the Cherokee National Historical Society)
If you're interested, I can assist you in locating these books to purchase. They're excellent tools to keep at your disposal at all times.
Understand that tracing your Cherokee Ancestry is a long and arduous task, with many disappoinments along the way. However, in the end, if you're diligent and fortunate enough to have made a "connection", it will be the thrill of your lifetime!
***NOTE: If you attend Powwows in your area, you're bound to find vendors who are selling these same books, and you'll get to enjoy a great learning experience in dance, regalia, and culture!
You can find a Powwow Events Calendar and much more valuable information about Native culture at
POWWOWS.COM
GENEALOGICAL LINKS
I strongly suggest that you use the following links simply to begin a fantastic journey into discovering who you really are! Most sites are FREE to help you find your other ancestors:
ANCESTRY.COM ROOTSWEB.COM FAMILY SEARCH OF THE LDS RECORDS OTHER PERSONAL GENEALOGY SITES
This is a PAY service, but if you go to your local library, they may be able to give you the information to access it from home through them, for FREE!!
At this site I discovered several distant cousins and have been in touch with them for years!
This is an excellent starting point with many International records available!
CHEROKEE TRIBAL ARCHIVES PROJECT
NORTH CAROLINA CHEROKEE RESERVATION GENEALOGY
Truly there are literally thousands upon thousands more resources you can tap into, but I hope I've provided you with a "Jumping off" point to get you started.
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you'd like to "share" some of your own family or native history, please contact me!
im_cherokee@hotmail.com
I'd love to hear from you!
FIND OUT IF YOU HAVE NATIVE AMERICAN BLOOD FOR SURE!
im_cherokee@hotmail.com
O ta sa la nv lvi..."We are brothers and sisters."
Mitakuye Oyasin!! "All My Relations!!"
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