I am doing research for my husband who is of maternal NC Cherokee heritage and trying to get what he needs together for Tribe enrollment. Here is his genealogy.
Alfred Almond b. 4/1856 in Cherokee, NC. Alfred married Sarah E. Pressley (Cherokee Heritage) b. 2/1857 in Monroe, TN. Alfred and Sarah’s children are:
Albert C. Almond b. 8/16/1880 – Cherokee, NC
Tennie Almond b. 7/4.1881 – Cherokee, NC
Allen Albert Almond (adopted) b. 10/3/82 – Monroe, TN
Belva Jane Almond b. 5/13/1883 – Cherokee, NC
Omie Elizabeth Almond b. 4/28/1888 – Cherokee, NC
Minnie Almond b. 8/11/1889 – Cherokee, NC
Martha Sarah Almond b. 8/11/1889 – Cherokee, NC
Charles H. Almond b. 3/4/1892 – Cherokee, NC
Jerry Leonard Almond b. 4/29/1896 – Cherokee, NC
Henry Joshua Almond b. 5/8/1897 – Cherokee, NC
Daughter Martha Sarah Almond married William Hugh Gragg
Their son Willis Gragg had a daughter Doris Gragg Truppi, and she is the mother of my husband Frank Truppi.
Martha Sarah Almond my husband’s gg grandmother, her brother Charles H. Almond signed the Baker Roll # 81 as Charley Almond so he is the Cherokee heritage link to my husband. How or what does my husband need to do to connect the brother/sister Martha Sarah Almond link to Charley Almond. Any help will be much appreciated.
The Charley Almond that put in application #81 was born in 1897. The application was submitted and examined in 1926, and formally rejected in 1927. He stated his blood degree was 1/32 and gave his lineage as follows:
He was the son of Julia (Palmer) Almond.
Julia was the daughter of Sallie (McDonald) Palmer.
Sallie was the daughter of Johnathan McDonald
Johnathan was the son of Sallie McDonald
Sallie was the daughter of Annie Blythe (claimed to be 4/4 blood).
*The application states that no identified ancestors were recognized as Cherokee tribal members or found on any tribal rolls.
He was not the brother of your Martha Sarah Almond, daughter Alfred Almond and Sarah Pressley. However, ironically, they were distant cousins through the Almond/Allman line. Just for further clarification, there were no individuals with the surname Almond found on the original enumeration of the Baker Roll, 1924-29.
However this particular family group mentioned in your query can be traced in some records. Alfred and Sarah were married in Monroe County, Tennessee in 1878. The couple can then be found living in the same county in the 1880 Census. By 1900, the family had moved to Cherokee, North Carolina. Sarah was born in Tennessee about 1857. Her parents aren’t confirmed yet. But, a census record search of the most popular ancestry databases using keywords Sarah Presley (with variable spelling), born about 1857 (plus/minus 2 years) with TN place of birth will bring back just three results on the 1870 enumeration. One of these Sarah’s was living in Monroe County, which was where Alfred Almond married a Sarah Pressley. That might be a very promising lead.
In any event, there is no way of claiming any specific ancestry or Cherokee identity without knowing Sarah’s actual lineage. What is known for sure is that she was not found on the Hester Roll of 1884 either under her maiden name or her married name.
Some online references give her place of birth more specifically as Sweetwater, Monroe County. However, I don’t see a cited source for that.
Finally, it should be pointed out succinctly that enrollment in the Eastern Band requires very specific lineage and affiliation with the community. There is a minimum 1/16 blood quantum requirement, and applicant must prove lineal descent from ancestors found on Baker Roll, without exception. Your husband would not be eligible based on descent from Martha Almond, daughter of Alfred Almond and Sarah E. Pressley.