Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

www.folsomfamily.org/harry/choctaw%20folsoms/

You need to go to this website.

samuel folsom m. may ?>alexander folsom sr. d.~1998 OK >alexander folsom jr. b.~1940 m. nancy
first, you should get over the adoption hump. do you have paperwork saying you are your father’s child? you might need to contact the adoption coordinator of the state where the adoption took place.

you start with what you know, gather paperwork, then you can go backward in time. birth certificates and marriage license are primary documents. death certificates, obituaries, social security applications (for people who passed away after 1/1/1937) can often point you in the right direction.

i agree that you should contact the genealogist for the folsom family, on that website link given by debi.

this might be your father:

California Death Index, 1940-1997
about Alexander Folsom
Name: Alexander Folsom
Social Security #: 560504187
Sex: MALE
Birth Date: 20 Sep 1939
Birthplace: Oklahoma
Death Date: 28 Mar 1993
Death Place: Modoc
Mother’s Maiden Name: Boyd

bear in mind that the informant might not have known some information about previous events, like birth or parents.

california vital records:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/pages/default.aspx

oklahoma vital records
http://www.ok.gov/health/Birth_and_Death_Certificates/

this will give you a start.

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

have a common surname, you need to give more information rather thann 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.

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.

if the name is common, you may find too many possible records.

the tribe has an excellent information to help you. it is found under genealogy

advocacy.
http://choctawnation.com/services/departments/community-services/

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

suzanne hamlet shatto

Halito,
Thanks to both of my respondants. Indeed my father died up at Alturas or Pit River which I believe is in Modoc county Ca. I also vaugely remember my grandmother’s maiden name being Boyd from an old baby book I no longer have access to; she may still be living and in Oklahoma for sure. It is overwhelming to look at the number of Folsom family sites, but I will try the one suggested and ask for help. There are two Alexander Folsoms on the final Dawes. But again thank you as I am now serious about all of this, I want to be legally counted as a tribal member and Choctaw by blood. I do believe I can get my original birth certificate opened in my birth county but if the Nation wants originals and not copies I may not be able to provide that if it is something my mother acquired. Although my original birth cert. does say Alexander Folsom Jr. is my father my mother refused to put anything to do with my Choctaw ethnicity on it but that shouldn’t matter. So I will start gathering info and seek more help from those who know what they are doing.
Sage ohoyoluksi@comcast.net

don’t worry about the ethnicity issue. the name of the father and any details would be better.
you should contact the tribe’s advocate for genealogy. they can tell you what kind of paperwork you need.

the dawes roll is a list of original enrollees 1896-1906. if your ancestor was not alive at that time, they might not have been on the dawes roll.

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

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

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

Try this website for searching the Dawes Commission Enrollment. Be sure to read the instructions at the bottom of the page. Good Luck!

http://www.okhistory.org/research/dawes/dawesresults.php?cardnum=CC%23%201399%20Page%2024