All Things Cherokee

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Markham

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I am trying to track back my family history. I have been told that we are from the Cherokee Nation but my family is spread out and no one talks. My grand father is Kenneth Markham from the Dallas area. His mother was Ema Langston I believe and she was Cherokee. I am not sure about my great grandfather. I know Kenneth had several brothers and a sister. They all lived in Grand Prairie at one point. My father was admitted to a Indian rehab for drinking at one point, but I do not talk to him and have no way of getting in touch with him. Does anyone out there know how or can help me trace my family history back to the Nations? I am at a complete loss when it comes to getting any where as I have no solid info.

Comments

  1. There is a Robert Kenneth Markham from Grand Prairie, TX, born to an Emma Florence Langston in 1929. Here is his birth certificate summary:

    Name: Robert Kennith Markham
    Birth Date: 2 Jan 1929
    Gender: Male
    Birth Place: Grand Prairie, Dallas, Texas, USA
    Father: Walter J Markham
    Father Birth Place: New Market Alabama
    Mother: Emma Florence Langston
    Mother Birth Place: Texas
    Mother Residence: Grand Prairie

    And this is supplemented by his SS/death info:

    Name: Kenneth Robert Markham
    [Kenneth R Markham]
    SSN: 450308512
    Gender: Male
    Race: White
    Birth Date: 2 Jan 1929
    Birth Place: Grand Prairie, Texas
    [Grand Prairi]
    Father Name: James W Markham
    Mother Name: Emmie F Langston
    Death Date: 9 Aug 1998
    Type of Claim: Original SSN.
    Notes: Aug 1942: Name listed as KENNETH ROBERT MARKHAM; 20 Aug 1998: Name listed as KENNETH R MARKHAM

    With this info, you can find his family living in Grand Prairie in 1939, Kenneth is about 1 year old. Moving back to the parents’ generation now. There is a lot of documentation on these individuals. Here is James’ and Emma’s death certs:

    Name: James W Markham
    Birth Date: 7 Jan 1889
    Birth Place: New Market, Alabama
    Gender: Male
    Race: White
    Residence: Grand Prairie, Dallas, Texas
    Spouse: Emma Markham
    Father: David Marion Markham
    Mother: Molly Lewis
    Age at Death: 83
    Death Date: 19 Apr 1972
    Death Place: Arlington, Tarrant, Texas, USA

    Name: Emma Florence Markham
    [Emma Florence Langston]
    Birth Date: 9 Jan 1898
    Birth Place: Texas
    Gender: Female
    Race: White
    Residence: Grand Prairie, Dallas, Texas
    Father: Rufus Langston
    Mother: Mary Elizabeth Langston
    Age at Death: 82
    Death Date: 20 Sep 1980
    Death Place: Arlington, Tarrant, Texas, USA

    James’ parents were born in AL in the early 1870s and came to Texas sometime before 1900. Emma’s parents were born in Lincoln County, TN in the 1850s and they also moved to Texas prior to 1900. They were from White families. The Langston line goes back to quite far, to a John Langston that arrived in Virginia in 1620. That was Jamestown settlement era. This is just one link to your ancestor’s burial site/personal info:

    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43422428

    None of these lines had a connection to Cherokee Nation which was removed to Indian Territory by 1839.

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