Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

rosetta riddle m. ? gardner
brother samuel riddle, luther riddle.

no dates, no location, no children, no spouse in your post.

since i couldn’t find a record of her in oklahoma, i looked in ancestry family trees. maybe this is your grandmother.

Rosetta Riddle
Birth 7 Jul 1876 in Hope, Hempstead, Arkansas, United States
Death 12 Dec 1962 in Rush Springs, Grady, Oklahoma, United States

spouse:
Edward Nail Gardner 1871 – 1964

Private Iona Helen Gardner 1900 – 1904 Dona Lee Gardner 1902 – 1983 Clemmie Arlie Gardner 1905 – Lelan Gardner 1910 – Jesse Edward Gardner 1912 – 1913 James Robert Gardner 1914 – 1958 Nellie M Gardner 1919 – 2001

parents:
Samuel Bosman Riddle 1845 – 1902
Samantha Jane Swader 1848 – 1882

is this your family? (there may be duplications in the family composition.)

Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Township 5, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory; Roll: 1852; Enumeration District: 114; FHL microfilm: 1241852.

township 5 south range 11 east
sheet 21A
enumerated june 12, 1900

indian population schedule
edward gardner, head, indian male, b. march 1871, age 29, married 1 year, b. indian territory, parents b. indian territory, farmer, reads and writes, owns the farm free and clear
rosetta gardner, wife, indian female, b. july 1879, age 21, married one year, b. arkansas, parents b. AL, reads and writes
jonah?, daughter, indian female, b. jan 1900, age 6 months, b. indian territory

because rosetta’s parents were b. AL, you might look at the mississippi choctaw tribe or the MOWA tribe, links in this post.

edward is 1/2 choctaw, from both parents
rosetta is 1/4 choctaw from her father’s side of the family, mother listed a white

Dawes Card Information

tribe last first middle age sex blood card roll misc type
Choctaw Gardner Edward N 0 M M595 P
Choctaw Gardner Rosetta 0 F M595 P
Choctaw Gardner Clemmie Arlie 1 F 1/2 M595 495 BOKCHITO M

you can get a copy of the dawes enrollment packet, which contains the census card and enrollment application, perhaps the testimony.
see the link for the oklahoma historical society or NARA http://www.archives.gov fort worth, TX office

Dawes Card Information

tribe last first middle age sex blood card roll misc type
Choctaw Gardner Arabella S 0 F 3809 P
Choctaw Gardner Green 0 M 3809 P
Choctaw Gardner Dona Lee 1 F 9/16 3809 NR ACADEMY BB
Choctaw Gardner Iona 1 F 9/16 3809 NR ACADEMY BB
Choctaw Gardner Rosetta 20 F IW 3809 NR ACADEMY BB
Choctaw Gardner Edward N 27 M FULL 3809 NR ACADEMY BB
Choctaw Rebble Marhta 0 F 3809 P
Choctaw Riddle Samuel 0 M 3809 P
p=parent
iw=intermarried white, a general nontribal description
bb=by blood

apparently rosetta did not have acceptable proof that she was a native belonging to the oklahoma choctaw tribe. i am not very surprised, as her parents likely made a late migration to arkansas. so, if you want to know her heritage, you would have to see where her parents lived in AL and whether the family accepted tribal termination. a land grant called choctaw scrip may be in the name of the head of household in mississippi or alabama. ancestry has a database called “mississippi land records” and “alabama land records” that contains these records – and also early homestead records.

there are several riddle records on this census page also.

1910 United States Federal Census about Rassella Gordner
Name: Rassella Gordner
[Rosetta Gardner]
[Rassella Gardner]
Age in 1910: 32
Birth Year: 1878
Birthplace: Oklahoma
Home in 1910: Township 10, Bryan, Oklahoma
Race: Indian (Native American)
[White]
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Spouse’s Name: Edward Gordner
Father’s Birthplace: Texas
Mother’s Birthplace: Tennessee
[Louisiana]
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Edward Gordner 39
Rassella Gordner 32
Damp Gordner 7
Clema Gordner 5
Ovranay Gordner 2
Lenlan Gordner 5/12
⁰

Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Township 10, Bryan, Oklahoma; Roll: T624_1244; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0031; Image: 434; FHL microfilm: 1375257.

genealogists use names, dates, locations, children and spouses to match records. if you have a common

surname, you need to give more information rather than less. if you post about women, it is helpful to

include the maiden name and the married name and designate which one is the maiden name.

start with what you know, gather documentation, then you can go backward in time. so get your birth

certificate, your parents’ birth certificates and marriage license and then you can start on your

grandparents. if someone passed away after 1/1/1937, they probably have a social security application on

file. if you ask a government agency for a birth certificate, and they were born before 1929, they might

have submitted a delayed birth certificate. death certificates, cemetery information and obituaries are

helpful. you can usually get a copy of an obituary, newspaper mentions such as birth of a child or

marriage, through the interlibrary loan program – see your local public library for this. i usually start

with the death and work toward the person’s birth. military records and pension records can be helpful.

census records can tell you where they were at particular times, names of family members. the census

records up to 1930 are available, although the 1890 census was largely destroyed. the 1940 census will be

public information in 2012.

obituaries through the oklahoma choctaw tribe is through the history link for the tribe:
http://www.choctawnation.com/history/

social security application for a deceased person:
http://www.ssa.gov/foia/html/foia_guide.htm
form SS-5.

your public library probably has a subscription to heritage quest and ancestry.com. fold3.com is another

useful database for native records and military records, but they are a subscription. however, many times

their month’s subscription price is less than the price of a dawes packet, however check with

accessgenealogy’s database to see if your relative’s dawes packet is exists or is available at fold3.
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/dawes.php?s_last=green&s_first=mart&s_middle=&s_tribe=
partial names are allowed.

bear in mind that many records are not online. always collect documents, as just the reference to a

relative in an index informs you that a document is available.

death records:
death certificate: state vital records or if very old, state archives. ask for the person’s name at the

time of death. you can look at death indices, such as the social security death index 1964-present for a

date of death on rootsweb.com or ancestry.com.
obituary: see your local public library, interlibrary loan program. ask for the person’s name at the time

of death. approximate date of death is helpful. if old, state historical society or state archives might

have historical newspapers.
cemetery record: try findagrave.com or interment.net. ask for the person’s name at the time of death. if

you find a relative, you can click on the county or cemetery to see if others with the same surname are

buried there.

marriage records:
state vital records office, county clerk or if old, state archives or state historical society.

birth records:
state vital records office, or if old, state archives or state historical society. if the birth was before

1940, ask for a birth certificate or a delayed birth certificate. many people had to get delayed birth

certificates when social security came into effect because they had to show proof of age. this will be

under the name used at the time of birth.

census records:
you will want to search for census records 1940 on down to the birth of your relative. the federal census

was taken every 10 years, however the 1890 census was largely destroyed by fire. there are also some state

census records and native census records and native rolls. ancestry.com and heritage quest are two

databases that include many census records. many native census records kept by NARA

(http://www.archives.gov) are transcribed at accessgenealogy.

first of all, heritage and tribal enrollment are two different things. many times natives didn’t apply for

enrollment because 1) they didn’t qualify, 2) they were philosophically opposed to enrollment, 3) they

didn’t have documentation, or 4) they were mississippi choctaw and their ancestor had accepted land or

benefits in lieu of tribal enrollment.

the dawes roll was taken 1896-1906, so you should trace your ancestors down to that time period. mostly,

they had to be living in oklahoma by that time and agree to live there permanently.

history of the dawes roll
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawes_Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawes_Commission
wikipedia entries are sometimes opinionated; entered by volunteers.

helpful information about tribal enrollment
http://www.felihkatubbe.com/ChoctawNation/TribalMembership.html

2 ways to search:
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/finalroll.php
this will let you enter partial names to get card#. click on the card# in the card column and you can see

other names in that family.
other resources on the left and at the bottom of this webpage. native census records and databases are

especially useful.

http://www.okhistory.org/research/dawes/index.php
this will give you card# (family group) and enrollment #. they have some native marriage records too. other

oklahoma records listed at left.
if your relative was enrolled by court action, their name might not be on this list.
if the name is common, you may find too many possible records.
you can order the dawes packet from the oklahoma historical society website.

if you find a relative listed on the dawes roll, fold3 may have filmed the record and could be available

online.
http://www.fold3.com/documents/46580455/dawes-packets/
other resources are NARA http://www.archives.gov

the five civilized tribes book put out by the department of the interior has testimony.
http://books.google.com/books/about/Five_civilized_tribes_in_Oklahoma.html?id=chATAAAAYAAJ
and you can read it online

and these are the microfilms at fort worth TX archives.
http://www.archives.gov/southwest/finding-aids/native-american-microfilm.html

http://okhistory.cuadra.com/star/public.html
oklahoma newspaper and archives search. some of these resources may be available through interlibrary

loan/public library.

the tribe has an excellent information to help you. it is found under genealogy advocacy.
http://choctawnation.com/services/departments/community-services/
some obituaries:
http://www.choctawnation.com/history/obituaries/

NARA http://www.archives.gov/ federal records repository. the fort worth, TX office has archives for

oklahoma and texas tribes. atlanta/morrow office has archives for the southwest tribes. many offices have

microfilmed records for several tribes. note that this web address has changed recently from nara.gov.

freedmen info:
You can ONLY apply for Choctaw Nation Membership, AFTER you have obtained a CDIB card proving your Choctaw

Blood lineage to a direct ancestor who actually enrolled, BY BLOOD. Freedmen DID NOT enroll By Blood. When

US Congress closed the Final Dawes Commission Rolls, there were no provisions granting Freedmen any

benefits after the Dawes Commission closed. The tribe Constitution states BY BLOOD. however, the documents

(application, census card and testimony) may help you find out more about your heritage.

mississippi choctaw and choctaw tribe explained here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choctaw_Trail_of_Tears
http://www.choctaw.org/

jena choctaw tribe in louisiana:
http://www.jenachoctaw.org/

MOWA tribe
http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1368
http://www.uab.edu/uabmagazine/2009/july/losttribe
http://www.native-american-online.org/MOWA-Choctaw.htm
MOWA Band Of Choctaws Wilford Taylor 1080 Red Fox Road Mount Vernon, AL 36560 (251) 829-5500. E-Mail:

chieftaylor@mowachoctaw.com

other choctaw tribes:
http://www.aaanativearts.com/choctaw-indians/index.html

chickasaw historical society
Historic Preservation and Repatriation Office
Phone: (580) 272-5325
Fax: (580) 272-5327
2020 E. Arlington, Suite 4, Ada, OK 74820
send mail to: P.O. Box 1548, Ada, OK 74821

chickasaw tribe
Chickasaw Nation Headquarters
520 East Arlington, Ada, OK 74820
Phone (580) 436-2603
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1548, Ada, OK 74821
http://www.chickasaw.net/index.htm

chickasaw genealogy archive center Tribal Library
Phone: (580) 310-6477
Fax: (580) 559-0773
1003 Chamber Loop, Ada, OK 74820
send mail to: P.O. Box 1548, Ada, OK 74821

http://www.okhistory.org/
oklahoma historical society
marriage records
http://www.okhistory.org/research/library/marriage.html
http://www.okgenweb.org/~okgarvin/kinard/chocmarriageindex.htm

other historical societies:
http://www.daddezio.com/society/hill/SH-OK-NDX.html
some oklahoma genealogical societies:
http://www.censusfinder.com/oklahoma-genealogy-society.htm
http://www.geneasearch.com/societies/socokla.htm

texas tribes
http://www.native-languages.org/texas.htm
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/texas/index.htm
http://www.texasindians.com/
http://www.texasindians.com/
http://www.lsjunction.com/places/indians.htm

oklahoma tribes:
http://500nations.com/Oklahoma_Tribes.asp
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/oklahoma/index.htm
http://www.cowboy.net/native/tribes.html

some links for the choctaw.
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/choctaw/index.htm
i looked at the land records and those need a lot of work. i have no information about whether or when they

will improve some of these categories.

types of records available for native americans:
pages 366-369 in particular although the entire native american chapter is helpful.
The Genealogist’s Companion and Sourcebook:
Guide to the Resources You Need for Unpuzzling Your Past
Emily Anne Croom
you can ask for these particular pages from your local public library. if they don’t have the book, you can

get the pages through the interlibrary loan program.
native american records are discussed in pages 352-386.

Tracing ancestors among the Five Civilized Tribes: Southeastern Indians …
By Rachal Mills Lennon
this book could be accessed through the interlibary loan program also.

always find the state archives. some records are online, some records are not. but many times you can find

a record not found in other places. you want to see also about newspaper mentions for obituaries, births,

marriages in particular.

check courts for probate, civil and criminal cases, marriage records.

if your ancestors lived on a reservation, they might not appear on a federal census because they were not

taxed.
http://www.okgenweb.org/~okgarvin/kinard/1860index.htm
1860 census, indian territory.

this book is a good read about the dawes roll and how they implemented it.
The Dawes Commission and the allotment of the Five Civilized Tribes, 1893-1914
By Kent Carter
and you can read this book online. your relatives’ testimony might be in the book.
http://www.archive.org/details/fivecivilizedtr00statgoog
see the menu at left. you can download it.

you should look at the enrollment application, census card and testimony. this post will tell you how to

do that. these documents will tell you more about your heritage, but it won’t help you if your goal is to

be enrolled in the choctaw tribe of oklahoma. some people were classed as mississippi choctaw if the

family had a native heritage but didn’t qualify for enrollment in the tribe.

there are 63 tribes in oklahoma but only the five major tribes are on the dawes roll. look at your

family’s location around 1900-1930 time period (census will help you there) and see if there was a tribe

located nearby. it is possible that your relatives were affiliated with another tribe.

if they were mississippi choctaw, there is probably a land grant in MS/AL to a head of household called

choctaw scrip land. this was given in lieu of tribal enrollment 1830-1880 time period. ancestry.com has a

database of the MS and AL choctaw scrip land records, called mississippi or alabama land records. there

are other land records in those databases too,, so you have to look at the authority/source cited. NARA

http://www.archives.gov has those land record packages.

the mississippi choctaw was not removed from oklahoma. but they were largely rejected for tribal

enrollment.

this website might help you in your search. some people are trying to transcribe applications.
http://www.us-census.org/native/choctaw_dawes.html
i do not know what they are trying to transcribe, but this is the volunteer page
http://www.us-census.org/states/graphics/status.htm

and this might be of interest to you:
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/choctaw/rights-of-choctaws.htm
Rights of Mississippi Choctaws in the Choctaw Nation

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/finalrolls/
Index to the Final Rolls of the Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory
the dawes roll is composed of applications to the five major tribes in oklahoma.

good advice about native research:
http://jenniferhsrn2.homestead.com/research2.html

if your relatives came from a different geographic location or belonged to a different tribe, try searching

google for the state and tribes. you might find a contact for a state-recognized tribe or a federal

recognized tribe.

this page can help you set up a targeted google search.
http://www.searchforancestors.com/google/searcher.html

penny postcards. this is a website that features pictures that were on postcards. click on the state to

see the postcards that they have.
http://www.usgwarchives.org/special/ppcs/ppcs.html
if you have a penny postcard, you can click on submissions to add your penny postcard to the collection.

these searches will combine several possible search terms and give you the best matches.

i have collected many resources over the years. if you want to write to me, shamlet76@gmail.com and request

the choctaw resource list, i will be glad to send it to you.

i am just a volunteer that wants to empower people to learn how to do genealogy.

suzanne hamlet shatto