Who is my granddaddy?

TIME CHART FOR ORREN ALBERT ANDERSON  1898 – 1942

1898    Orren Albert Anderson was born near Red Moon, Oklahoma Territory, on 11   February 1898.  He was   the son of William Henry  Anderson and Tommie Lee (Boles) Anderson.  His father ranched along Rush Creek near Red Moon.  Their seven children all went to school in Red Moon.

1915  The family moved to Strong City, OK,  where Orrens father was the Deputy Sheriff.

1916  Orren  got his first job with Herring and Young Mercantile in Strong City.  His boss was Jimmie Lee Robinson, whom he later named his son after.

1918  Selected for military service on November 18, 1918, World War I.

1919  Married the local 3rd grade teacher Alida Lena Guernsey on 15 March 1919 at the Missionary Baptist Church in Cheyenne, OK.

1919-25  Worked at the Herring and Young store in Strong City in their bookkeeping department and later became the store manager.

1925  Obtained approval to open a Chevrolet Agency in Kingfisher, OK.  He asked Jim Sandusky who worked in  the Strong City bank to be his partner.

1926  Orren and Alida had their first child, Marjorie Ruth Anderson, born on 18 June 1926, in Kingfisher, OK.

1928  Around 1928-30 the partners opened their second Chevrolet Agency in Hennessey, OK.  Orren, Alida and Marjorie move to Hennessey, OK.

1932  Orren and Alida have their second child, Jimmie Lee Anderson, born 15 April 1932.  There was no hospital in Hennessey so their son was born in the Baptist Hospital in  Enid, OK.

1935  Orren sold his agency in Hennessey to Willard Watson.  The family moved to Enid, OK where they had a larger school system for their children.

1936  Orren applied for the first Pontiac agency for Enid.  While waiting approval he spent most of the year playing the cotton futures.

1937-8  Orren picked Paul Buthod as his partner in the Pontiac agency.  He also added an automobile salvage yard across the street from the agency.

1941   As the United States entered World War II against Germany, General Motors stopped making all automobiles for the private sector and concentrated making trucks and tanks for the war effort.

1942  With no automobiles to sell he closed the Pontiac agency.  Orren was being considered for the Postmaster position in Enid, but he decided to help in the war effort by accepting an administrative position with a shipbuilding company in Oregon.

1942  Leaving Enid,  OK on 16 June 1942, the family was driving to Portland, Oregon when  their automobile had a tire blow out, the car rolled over three times.   Orren was thrown from the car and died.  He was buried in Strong City, OK, cemetery.  Orren was a member of the First Baptist Church and held membership in the Masonic order.

Dear Kinfolk,

Going back another generation after our last blog on ggg–grandparents James Anderson and Francis Fannie Griffin, we come to Henry Anderson, born 1740, Tennessee married to Bettie Harlan Mitchell.  A post by Lola Whitrow on the internet states the Harlans, Mitchells and Griffins were all from the Old Cherokee Nation, NC. or TN.

The leads for our Cherokee history came from the affidavits  to the Guion Miller Indian application, number 34466, back in 1896.  A number of Cherokees gave affidavits verifying that “East” Bettie Harlan Mitchell was a recognized Cherokee Indian.  The “East” is in reference to the Old Cherokee Nation location.  A few statements from these affidavits as follows;

William Henry Anderson (my grandfather) stated  “Henry  Anderson was the son of James Anderson and grandson of Henry Anderson and also grandson on his mothers side of James and Bettie Mitchell who lived in the old Cherokee Nation.  East Bettie Mitchell’s maiden name was East Bettie Harlan and was recognized Cherokee and my grandfather was an second cousin of old Tom Starr.

Henry M. Anderson (my gg grandfather) stated  “that his name is Henry Anderson that his age is eighty three years.  That he resides in Hemphill County state of Texas.  That he is the son of James Anderson who was the son of Henry Anderson and grandson of James and Bettie Mitchell who lived in the old Cherokee Nation East.  Bettie Mitchells maden name was Bettie Harlin a recognized Cherokee Indian.”

Nelson Harlan stated “I am a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a Cherokee by blood.  I reside on Bairen Fork in Going Snake District, Oklahoma Territory.  I am eight two years of age, I came here from the old Nation in 1836.  I have been informed by old Peter Hildebrands wife (Bettie Harlan) and Jacob West wife ( Sallie Harlan),  in about the year 1839  that they had a full sister named Bettie Harlan, who never came to this country.”

Unfortunately the Guion Miller application was rejected. To qualify, the Cherokee descendant had to  sign one of the  government Cherokee rolls.  These rolls were used by President Jacksons orders to round up members of the old Cherokee Nation east and force them to take the infamous Cherokee Trail of Tears, where many of them died.  Our descendant, Bettie Harlan Mitchell, did not sign the rolls and stayed in the Old Cherokee Nation.

What I find most interesting is Nelson Harlan’s explanation of two sisters, both named Bettie Harlan!  The one that married Peter Hilderbrand, was the granddaughter of the famous Indian, Nancy Nanye’hi Ward (see the Newsweek article).  If Nelson’s affidavit is correct ,our Bettie Harlan, whose daughter married Henry Anderson, would also be a direct descendant of Nancy Ward!  That would be great, but almost impossible to prove.

So once again Kinfolk, I leave you with more questions than answers!  However, it is easier for me to believe the family statements given in 1896, than some of the information found on the internet.

Enjoy your weekend,

Jim Lee