Trying to connect the “final” dots. Father: DeWitt Bunch, Oklahoma City 1928, Grandparents D or DEE (changed to DeWitt) Bunch 1894 AR and Cora Bell Davenport, 1906 Rogers (?) AR. D’s Father was John Washington Bunch 1854 Hattiesburg MS and Cora’s Father was Henry Sylvester Davenport (? no real info). John Washington Bunch’s mother(?) Matilda… some of this is questionable but believe that Matilda was removed from NC and escaped along the way but still ended up heading towards OK. Also told we have Saponi blood. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard any info, that’s why I’m not sure on the accuracy.
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I can see why this query post has so many question marks. It’s a bit confusing. There appears to be some conflicting and unsourced trees that are confusing lineages, in particularly, there is confusion between a John William Bunch who married an Anna Riggs in Arkansas in 1887, and John Washington Bunch who married an Annie Johnson in MS (who subsequently moved into Arkansas).
But, if you start with your father and work back methodically using the record trail, it looks like this: Dewitt Bunch b. 1928 OK, was the son of Dewitt Bunch b. 1894 MS, grandson of John Washington Bunch b. 1868, MS who married an Annie Johnson in Leflore County, MS in 1891 (there are also conflicting marriage years). I haven’t seen a record that confirms his parentage. Where does Matilda come from? The only document that gives some written clue, is the 1900 Census, which lists his parents places of birth as Alabama. But, by the 1910 enumeration the informant talking to the census taker didn’t know the place of birth of his parents (listed as UNK), so it is uncorroborated at this point.
However, we can use a bit of historical context here. If John W. was born in 1868 in MS, that means he was born 28 years after the end of the Trail of Tears. The story of his mother “escaping” the removal seems rather unlikely. This family line only moved into Oklahoma sometime after 1910 and before 1917. They were not tribal members, and this was just a few years after Oklahoma land rush and allotment of tribal lands and opening to White settlement.. Dewitt, Dewitt Sr., John Washington, and his mother did not have Cherokee tribal affiliation, although the lineage still needs to be confirmed going back to the mid, to early-1800s.
Dewitt Bunch
BIRTH 28 JUN 1928 • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
DEATH 14 NOV 2012 •Georgetown, South Carolina, USA
Parents:
Dewitt Bunch
BIRTH 16 SEP 1894 • Attala County, Mississippi, USA
DEATH 28 MAR 1979 • Spiro, Le Flore, Oklahoma, USA
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=119912720
Cora Bell Davenport
BIRTH ABT. 1898 • *
DEATH UNKNOWN • *
Paternal Grandparents:
John Washington Bunch
BIRTH 4 AUG 1868 • Attala County, Mississippi, USA
DEATH 5 JUL 1952 • Spiro, Leflore Co., Oklahoma
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=119912734&ref=acom
Name: J. W. Bunch
Spouse: Mrs. Annie Johnson
Marriage Date: 19 Sep 1891
County: Leflore, MS
Can be found on the 1910 Census:
Name: Dewitt Bunch
Age in 1910: 15
Birth Year: abt 1895
Birthplace: Mississippi
Home in 1910: Upper, Sebastian, Arkansas
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father’s name: John W Bunch
Father’s Birthplace: Mississippi
Mother’s name: Annie Bunch
Mother’s Birthplace: Mississippi
Native Tongue: English
Occupation: Laborer
Industry: Wagon Factory
Employer, Employee or Other: Wage Earner
Attended School: Yes
Able to Read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Out of Work: N
Number of Weeks Out of Work: 17
Household Members:
Name Age
John W Bunch 40
Annie Bunch 37
Dewitt Bunch 15
Bee Bunch 9
Zee Bunch 7
Effa Bunch 5
Fred Bunch 0
[6/12]
1900 Census:
De Wit Bunch
Age: 6
[5]
Birth Date: Dec 1893
[Sep 1894]
Birthplace: Mississippi
Home in 1900: Marion, Sebastian, Arkansas
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father’s name: John Bunch
Father’s Birthplace: Mississippi
Mother’s name: Anna Bunch
Mother’s Birthplace: Mississippi
Household Members:
Name Age
John Bunch 39
[36]
Anna Bunch 30
Alice Bunch 11
Elizabeth Bunch 7
De Wit Bunch 6
[5]
Bee Bunch 1
Bunch family info:
http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.bunch/1138/mb.ashx
1920 Census:
Name: Dewitt Bunch
Age: 25
Birth Year: abt 1895
Birthplace: Mississippi
Home in 1920: Pocola, Le Flore, Oklahoma
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father’s Birthplace: Mississippi
Mother’s name: Annie Bunch
Mother’s Birthplace: Mississippi
Able to Speak English: Yes
Occupation: Laborer
Industry: Wagon Factory
Employment Field: Wage or Salary
Home Owned or Rented: Own
Home Free or Mortgaged: Mortgaged
Able to Read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Household Members:
Name Age
Annie Bunch 50
Dewitt Bunch 25
Effie Bunch 16
Fred Bunch 9
1917 WWI Draft Card:
Name: Dewitt Bunch
County: Le Flore
State: Oklahoma
Birthplace: Mississippi
Birth Date: 16 Sep 1894
Race: Caucasian (White)
Eyes: Blue
Arkansas Marriage Certificate, 1923:
Name: Dewitt Bunch
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Birth Year: abt 1895
Residence: Arkoma, Leflore, Oklahoma
Spouse’s Name: Ethel Buchanan
Spouse’s Gender: Female
Spouse’s Age: 24
Spouse’s Residence: Van Buren, Crawford, Arkansas
Marriage Date: 26 Feb 1923
Marriage License Date: 26 Feb 1923
Marriage County: Sebastian
Event Type: Marriage
FHL Film Number: 2133588
did you say looking for Davenport??
yes, both should link back
I have a Dee Davenport in my family tree
I have Lindsey Davenport.. as my great grandfather..I see you have a Dee Davenport..my greatgrandfaher has a brother Dee Davenport….
I have Dee Bunch married to Cora Bell Davenport as my grandparents… both claimed to be 1/4, but having trouble proving it.
My Great Grandfathers were John Washington Bunch and Henry Sylvester Davenport
how?
get in touch with me…..darling_of_2015@yahoo.com
Cora Bell Davenport Bunch Nye
Is my great grandmother. I have had a DNA test via 23 & me … Said I have zero native American blood in me
I have since learned 23andme doesNOT show Native American blood bc native America Indian tribes did not participate in world DNA project.