My great grandmother was Sarah Ellen York (married name was Merritt) she was the daughter of Tina Jane Danner and Thomas Huston York. She passed back in 1992. She always said we had deep Cherokee roots but I was too young to remember any details or ask questions. She always said that our ancestors were part of the Trail of Tears. Any information at all would be much appreciated.
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Tina Danner was the daughter of John R. Danner and Etta Rigsby. She can be found living with her parents in 1900 Census, in Crawford, Arkansas.
John’s parents were Andrew and Margaret Danner. Andrew was born in 1834 in Ohio and Margaret was born in 1836 in Tennessee. This couple was married in Tennessee in 1864. They were not Cherokee or part of the Trail of Tears.
Etta was the daughter of Thomas Rigsby and Martha Jane York. Thomas was born in 1842 in Tennessee, and Martha was born in Kentucky in 1850. Again, this couple was not on the Trail of Tears and they were not Cherokee.
Thomas Huston York was the son of James York and Sarah Pursifull. They were born in 1839 and 1843, respectfully. Both were from Harlan, Kentucky. They were not on the Trail of Tears and they were not Cherokee. In fact, if you keep tracing back, you’ll notice that Thomas Huston York and Tina Danner were cousins through the York line. It is a sort of confusing configuration, but, basically…Thomas’s father James was the brother of Tina’s maternal grandmother, Martha Jane (York) Rigsby.
Tina and Thomas came into Oklahoma with the flood of White settlers during the Land Rush era, not during the Removal time period (or, Trail of Tears).Thomas is found on a WWI draft registration card, and his eyes are listed as blue. They do not appear to be associated with the Cherokee Nation. If there is some link along lines further back, you’d have keep digging.