Of all my family ancestors, definately my g grandfather, James Jordan! He was born in Sallisaw Indian Territory in the early 1860's and died in McAlester, Pittsburg County, OK in 1941. He was a coal miner for years and married my g grandmother in Cherryvale Camp, Indian Territory in 1896. I have about a million questions I would ask him, but the first ones would be: What are your parents' names and where were they from? Who were their parents, sisters, brothers, etc. And, who were your sisters, I hear there are two and that one lost an arm in a railroad accident, but who were they and did you have any brothers? The family story is that you are Cherokee and you are listed on the 1930 census as mixed breed Cherokee, but please tell me more about that and about how you grew up as a Cherokee mixed breed. Another family story is that you worked at some point as some type of law enforcement officer in the Cherokee Nation Indian Territory, please tell me about that. How many children did you and G Grandma Fannie have and what were their names? We know of a baby, either James Jr. or Freddy, depending on who you talk to, and the younger kids including Claud, Gladys, Jess, Orfus, and Opal. But, there are graves in Franklin County Arkansas listing you as parents (we think) and on censuses, there are different numbers given for "total number of children born to this mother". Finally, the last really important question is another family story, one that I was told as a "bedtime" story from the time I can first remember, by my grandfather, your son, Jess. It is about you, G Grandma Fannie and a baby returning to Indian Territory from Arkansas by boat instead of by train because you'd cut your foot badly when chopping wood the nite before you were to leave Arkansas. It is said that the river trip was rarely made then without catastrophe, but that you all managed it and there were many waiting along the banks when you arrived. I know my grandfather Jess was a very special man and that specialness runs to my father also, so my g grandpa James/Jim has to be a very interesting person. I sure hope we could stretch the dinner to spending the whole holiday weekend if not longer so we could really get to know each other! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Jana "Tsana" Jordan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carol C-H" <cch@netdoor.com> To: <JORDAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 10:46 AM Subject: [JORDAN] LISTOWNER POST - Thanksgiving Dinner > Those of us in the USA will soon be celebrating Thanksgiving. > Listmembers, if you could have one of your ancestors with this surname > join you for