Life History

Other facts

Notes

• Jessie May's birth was reported to the Indian Territory authorities.  It was important at that time to establish an individual's Native American identity.  This was a very political affair, decided by the US government, through the Dawes Commission and other mechanisms, not by the Nations themselves.
  
  An affidavit was issued by her mother Minnie Lee Green Thompson declaring her birth and stating her citizenship.  A problem occurred here, in that initially they were registered in Choctaw Nation, where they living.  When Minnie was registered along with her mother, Fannie Colbert and the other children, they were living in Choctaw Nation, though they were Chickasaws.  They were registered not as Chickasaw citizens living in Choctaw Nation, but as Choctaw citizens.  This was corrected by Fannie in later registrations after they had moved to Chickasaw Nation.
  
  In this affidavit it is notable that initially they were correctly listed as citizens of Chickasaw Nation.  Then "Chickasaw" was crossed through, and it was rewritten above as Choctaw in several places where citizenship is stated.  Should we be surprised that errors of this type occur in papers required by and handled by Federal government employees and offices?
  
  --------------------
  Department of the Interior
  Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes
  
  In Re:  Application for enrollment as a citizen of the (Chickasaw - changed to) Choctaw Nation, of Jessie May Thompson, born on the 12th day of June 1899.
  Name of Father Jno William Thompson, a citizen of the (Chickasaw - changed to) Choctaw Nation
  Name of Mother Minnie Thompson, a citizen of the (Chickasaw - changed to) Choctaw Nation
  Okra, Indian Territory
  
  --
  Affidavit of Mother
  United States of America
  Indian Territory, Southern Division
  
  I, Minnie Thompson, on oath, state that I am 25 years of age and a citizen, by blood, of the (Chickasaw - changed to) Choctaw Nation, that I am the legal wife of Jno William Thompson, who is a citizen, by intermarriage, of the (Chickasaw - changed to) Choctaw Nation, that a girl child was born to me on the 12th day of July, 1899, that said child has been named Jessie May Thompson, and is now living.
  
  (signed) Minnie Thompson
  Subscribed and sworn to before me this 8th day of July 1899, B P Haggard, Notary Public
  --
  Affidavit of Attending Physician or Witnesses
  United States of America
  Indian Territory, Southern Division
  
  Dr J R Walker, practicing Physician, on oath, state that I attended on Mrs Minnie Thompson, wife of Jno William Thompson, on the 12 day of June 1899, that there was born other on said date a girl child, that said girl child is now living and is said to have been named Jessie May Thompson.
  
  (signed) J R Walker, M D
  Subscribed and sworn to before me this 8th day of July 1899, B P Haggard, Notary Public
  --------------------
  
  The Post Office address of the family at the time of Jessie's birth is stated as Okra, Oklahoma.  This is not an incorporated place, and the post office no longer exists.
  
  Okra
  In McClain Co. near Rosedale. P.O. from July 26, 1898 to Aug. 31, 1908. No longer in existence. Named for the vegetable.
  Rosedale is near Wayne, OK
  Okra Post Office (historical), McClain County, Oklahoma
  --  "Okra," RootsWeb, http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/Indian-Territory-Roots/2001-09/1001201554
  
  Due to the original registration in Choctaw Nation, the 1900 census for Indian Territory reports Minnie and her daughter Jessie M as Choctaw.  This is corrected in the 902 enrollment, reported below.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, 13 June, Township 4, North Range 2E, District 134, page 22B, Hse #13, Fam #14
  Thompson, Jno W  Head W M June 1846 33 Married 10 years  Mosouri [sic] Mosouri Mosouri Farmer
  Thompson, Minnie G Wife In F (3/4 Choctaw) Jan 1874 26 Married 10 years  5 children/5 living Indian Territory Indian Territory Unknown
  Thompson, Jessie M  Dau In (7/8 Choctaw) F  June 1899  11mos Indian Territory  Mosouri  Indian Territory
  
  U.S. Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914, www.ancestry.com
  Tribal Affiliation Chickasaw By Blood for All
  25 Sep 1902, Dawes' Roll #4322, Census Card #1616
  Jessie May Thompson, Age 3, Birth Abt 1899, 1/8 Chickasaw
  
  Chickasaw Roll, Citizens By Blood 1903
  Roll #4315  East, Frances 71 F  1/2  Census Card #1615
  Roll #4316  Green, Daniel 26 M  1/4  Census Card #1615
  Roll #4317  Adams, Charles 22 M  1/4  Census Card #1615
  
  Roll #4318 Thompson, Minnie Lee 28 F  1/4  Census Card #1616
  Roll #4319 Thompson, Mamie Frances 11 F  1/8  Census Card #1616
  Roll #4320 Thompson, Robert Lee 9 M  1/8  Census Card #1616
  Roll #4321 Thompson, Emma Augusta 5 F  1/8  Census Card #1616
  Roll #4322 Thompson, Jessie May 3 F  1/8  Census Card #1616
  
  Roll #4323 Chochran, William Hunter 34 M  1/4  Census Card #1617
  Roll #4324 Chochran, Willie 7 M  1/8  Census Card #1617
  Roll #4325 Chochran, Vertis 7 M  1/8  Census Card #1617
  Roll #4326 Chochran, Samuel T 2 M  1/8  Census Card #1617
  
  1910 Federal Census, McClain County, Oklahoma, 2 May, Hopping Township, District 185, page 2A, Hse/Fam #7
  Thompson, Minnie Head F Ind (1/8 Chickasaw)  35 Widow 5 children/5 living OK US OK Own Income Owns Farm
  Thompson, Jessie M Dau F Ind (1/16 Chickasaw)  10 Single OK TX OK No Occupation Can Read and Write
  
  "Jessie is my paternal grandmother.  Robert is my uncle.  Jessie had 6 children.  Only two survived beyond infanthood..Robert R Stephens and H R Stephens.  My dad's initials didn't stand for anything.  Robert had 4 children.  My dad had 4 children.  Anna Lizette Stephens, Lynette Sue Stephens, Phyllis Rae Stephens and Stephen R. Stephens.  We are all still living.  H R died on 12/1/1973 and was born 6/09/1925."
  --  Phyllis Stephens, Geneanet Messaging, 22 January 2019
  
  Jessie M Stephens
  Birth 1900 [actual date 12 June 1899]
  Death 1932
  Wife of Robert L and mother of Robert R
  Burial Rosedale Cemetery, Rosedale, McClain County, Oklahoma
  Created by Jane Nov 29, 2008
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #31815763, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Stephens&GSiman=1&GScid=99409&GRid=31815763&
  
  There is a diuplicate memorial on Find a Grave, with what seems to be a misspelling of Jessie's name, as Jessee M Stephens.  Actually, this memorial was established 2 years before the other, so I guess, technically, the other one with the correct speling is the duplicate.
  
  Jessee M. Stephens
  Birth 1900
  Death 1932
  Inscription:  Mother
  Burial Rosedale Cemetery, Rosedale, McClain County, Oklahoma
  Created by Cindy Fanning Aug 28, 2006
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #15540636, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Stephens&GSiman=1&GScid=99409&GRid=15540636&

Sources

• 1. 1900 Federal Census, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory
  • 13 June, Township 4, North Range 2E, District 134, page 22B, Hse #13, Fam #14
• 2. U.S. Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914
  • 25 Sep 1902, Dawes' Roll #4318, Census Card #1616
• 3. 1910 Federal Census, McClain County, Oklahoma
  • 2 May, Hopping Township, District 185, page 2A, Hse/Fam #7
• 4. 1903 Chickasaw Roll, Citizens By Blood
• 5. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 6. Geneanet Messaging