On the Trail of Cherokee Ancestors

Question: My ancestor, Elijah Vaughn, was born in 1777, supposedly in Virginia. I found a reference to a Vaughn who in 1740 went as a packman with traders to the Cherokees. We have family tradition about Cherokee ancestry. Is it possible to trace them?

Answer: There is a multitude of records available pertaining to Cherokees.

First, determine if any of your ancestors received any money or land or were officially enrolled in the tribe. To do this, start with the 1900 census to see where your ancestor lived. If he was in Indian territory by that date, and was listed as Indian, you should be able to document his tribal affiliation fairly easily.

Use the LDS (Mormon) Genealogical Library to read the many available microfilmed records pertaining to Cherokees. Also consult E. Kay Kirkham’s two-volume guide titled “Our Native Americans and Their Records of Genealogical Value.” These two volumes are available for $17.75 and $19.95 from Everton Publishers, Box 368, Logan, Utah 84321.

Finding a Cherokee ancestor requires a long, diligent search. You need persistence, research skill and luck, but it can be done.

Q: My parents were divorced when I was 12 and my father died in 1977, so I never really knew him. He was in the Marine Corps during World War II, and I have his serial number. Is it possible for me to get his military records?

A: First, you need a copy of your father’s death certificate. Next, request Form 180 from National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. 63132. When you receive it, fill it out as completely as possible and return it to the St. Louis office.

Q: I have a personal computer and am interested in obtaining a software program for my genealogical records. Where can I obtain this?

A: There are many good programs on the market now. Consult “Computer Genealogy” by Paul A. Andereck and Richard A. Pence--a library in your area probably has a copy of this book or can borrow it for you on interlibrary loan.

“Family Roots” by Quinsept Inc., Box 16, Lexington, Mass. 02173, is a popular program available for many PCs. Also, consult back issues of Genealogical Helper magazine at your library. It contains several pages of ads devoted to software available from many vendors.

Q: You often mention checking records in a county or state, but you don’t explain fully how to go about it. Since I’m not able to go in person, how do I write for records? Do I send money with the request? I am interested in tracing ancestors who came from Wisconsin.

A: To obtain vital records from state offices (birth, death, marriage and divorce), consult Appendix F in “The Source,” an outstanding genealogical reference book. This book should be available in a public library near you. Ask for it, as it may be at the reference desk.

Under Wisconsin you will find the addresses for each kind of record you need and the price and the dates for which these documents are available.

Which county records are available in each Wisconsin county, along with the address and the office that has them, can be learned by consulting “The Handy Book for Genealogists.” This book also is found in most public libraries, usually in the genealogy collection.

Additionally, many records (federal, state, county and private) have been microfilmed and are available through the LDS (Mormon) branch genealogical libraries. There is one in Orlando, Fla.

To learn how to trace your family’s genealogy, read Dr. Ralph Crandall’s “Shaking Your Family Tree.” You can obtain a personal copy of this excellent book ($16.95 postpaid) from Yankee Books, Depot Square, Peterborough, N.H. 03458.

For a beginner’s how-to genealogy kit (with charts), send $4 (postage paid) and address your questions (please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope) to Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Box 64316, Tacoma, Wash. 98464.