This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/YNJ.2ACIB/267.415.422.4 Message Board Post: Your message states that your grandmother was an Indian. Upon further review... your grandmother Myrtle Viola Tapp Wellborn, daughter of William Cicero Tapp and granddaughter of Eber Smith Tapp and Sarah Elvira Rippy Tapp Morris, was part Native American and could probably easily pass for a Caucasian. Eber Smith Tapp was probably 4 or 5 generations removed from or over a period of 4 or 5 generations of intermarrying between Native Americans and Caucasians, Eber Smith Tapp's features made it to where he could easily pass for a Caucasian. As his Tapp line descended out of Virginia, Eber Smith Tapp was only a small portion Native American most likely, but not confirmed, from the tribe of the Wicocomico Indians. Now, Myrtle Tapp's grandmother who was Sarah Elvira Rippy Tapp [Morris] was probably at least half, more likely, to full blooded Native American based on photographic evidence (which also exists for Eber Smith Tapp) most likely of Cherokee Indian descent as Sarah Elvira Rippy was born in Rutherford County, North Carolina in 1836 which was the most westerly county in North Carolina with the rest of North Carolina being "Indian Territory" which was located not too many miles from the Qualla Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina. The heart of the Cherokee Nation was not located too far away either. Assuming that Myrtle Tapp's grandfather, Eber Smith Tapp was 1/8 Native American and that Myrtle Tapp's grandmother, Sarah Elvira Rippy Tapp [Morris] was 1/2 Native American, then this would make William Cicero Tapp, father of Myrtle Tapp, probably at most 5/8ths Native American. As Myrtle Tapp was born in Texas, due to the year of her birth in 1886, then Myrtle Tapp's mother who is unknown to me was most likely a Caucasian which would make Myrtle Tapp probably at most.5/16ths Native American and very easily capable to pass as Caucasian as a poor quality photograph of her seems to prove. So, yes, Myrtle Tapp was Indian, but only part Indian capable of passing for a Caucasian. Her Native American ancestry probably was in the 1/4th to 1/3rd range of Native American ancestry and capable of passing for a Caucasian. Myrtle Tapp was nothing near a full blooded Native American, just part Native American while seemingly Caucasian looking. Mike michael8689@sbcglobal.net