Life History

Notes

• 1870 Federal Census, Van Buren County, Arkansas, 4 August, Craig Township, PO Clinton, page 14, Hse/Fam #30
  Powell, Ambrose 25 M W Farmer $0 Real Estate $100 Personal b AR
  Powell, Minerva 21 F W Keeping House b TN
  Powell, Nancy 2 F W b TN
  Powell, Mahala 1 F W b TN
  
  Nancy and Mahala were both reported in 1870 as born in Tennessee.  In 1880, all the children were reported born in Arkansas.  It seems likely the earlier report was correct.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Van Buren County, Arkansas, 3 June, Craig Townsihp, District 2, page 43, Hse #325, Fam #330
  Powell, Ambrose  W M 38  Farmer AR TN TN
  Powell, Menerva W F 36 Wife Keeps House TN TN TN
  Powell, Nancy A  W F 12 Dau At Home AR TN TN
  
  Comments on a photo of Nancy Powell in this genealogy on Ancestry.com:
  
  "This is my great grandmother.  She is the mother to James Basdon Smith my grandfather.  This is the most current picture I have ever seen of her.  In our family they say she is Indian."
  --  Donna Keen, Comment on a photo on Ancestry.com, 3 August 2016
  
  "This is the sister to my grandmother, Margret Etta Powell.  I added this picture from a hint on Ancestry.  Yes, I heard from many family members that My grandparents were Native American.  After searching records for several years, I had a DNA test done by Ancestry and discovered that I have  0% Native American.  Grandma always said she was not Indian, but people didn't believe her.  I believe her now."
  --  Clarece Hasse, Comment on a photo on Ancestry.com, 3 August 2016
  
  Nancy Ann's brother Andrew Julius Powell married Myrtle Emma Green, who was a Chickasaw.  The Powells are in this genealogy because of this marriage.
  
  These Greens are Chickasaw because Daniel David Green, a brother of my mother's ancestor Jackson Green in Indian Territory, married Frances (Fannie) Colbert, a registered Chickasaw.  Fannie's family had been moved from Mississippi.  We have several families and this whole line of Chickasaw cousins named Green and married named like Powell and Thompson.
  
  The name Colbert among the Chickasaws comes from a Scottish family who settled among the Chickasaw early on and became prominent leaders in the Nation, continuing to maintain ties with the white society and governmental structure.  This did not prevent the removal of the Chickasaw Nation to Indian Territory, but because of their knowledge of the European culture and their relations within the US governmental structure, the Colberts were able to negotiate better terms and special concessions in their treaty of removal.
  
  The Greens descend from a Cherokee line of Greens, Meshack W Green, but never registered as Cherokees, moving rather into the general population stream.  Some other of Meshack's descendants did maintain Cherokee identity.  The Greens moved from Georgia to North Texas in about 1857, then into Chickasaw Nation.  Others of Meshack's descendants moved to Arkansas and Alabama.
  
  A grave in Bryan County, Oklahoma, appears to match our Nancy Powell.  The name on the grave is Nancy A Smith.  The memorial for Nancy on Find a Grave reports that she was born in Arkansas, apparently following the report in the 1880 census, when all the children in the family were reported born in Arkansas.  But the 1870 census reported at that time that the two children Nancy and younger Mahala were both born in Tennessee.
  
  The birth date on the gravestone is also a bit puzzling and introduces some uncertainty about whether this is the correct Nancy.  The memorial information matches other facts about Nancy and her family and the marriage record with William D Smith in Conway County, Arkansas.  One of her brothers was born in Conway County.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  William D Smith
  Age 21, Birth Year abt 1862
  Residence Menifee, Conway, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Nancy Ann Powell
  Spouse's Age 15
  Spouse's Residence Menifee, Conway, Arkansas
  Marriage 19 Jan 1883 Conway County
  Marriage License Date 15 Jan 1883
  
  The date as seen on the stone in the photo posted on the memorial reads 1878.  But Nancy was born about 1868, which is the date of birth reported on the memorial.
  
  --------------------
  Nancy Ann Powell Smith
  Birth Jan 9, 1868 Arkansas, USA
  Death Jun 18, 1950 Bryan County, Oklahoma, USA
  
  Spouse William David Smith (1865 - 1921)
  Children:
  Rufus Marlin Smith (1889 - 1963)
  James Basdon Smith (1890 - 1940)
  Earie Jane Smith Pierot (1892 - 1951)
  Amos Lee Smith (1894 - 1974)
  Oscar Andrew Smith (1896 - 1966)
  Avis Minerva Smith Buchanan (1900 - 1958)
  Patsy Delilah Smith Buchanan (1902 - 1960)
  Francis Etta Smith Rodgers (1905 - 1992)
  
  Burial Rosewood Cemetery, Achille, Bryan County, Oklahoma, Sec1 Lot 17
  
  Created by Brenda J Rogers Nov 09, 2009
  --  Find A Grave Memorial# 44145021, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=44145021
  --------------------
  

Sources

• 1. 1880 Federal Census, Van Buren County, Arkansas
  • 3 June, Craig Township, District 2, page 43, Hse #325, Fam #330
• 2. 1870 Federal Census, Van Buren County, Arkansas
  • 4 August, Craig Township, PO Clinton, page 14, Hse/Fam #30
• 3. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 4. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 5. Ancestry Comments