I just received the Guion Miller rolls application for the Eastern Cherokees #18666 for my great grandmother Melinda Adelaide Blevins Powers. There is some interesting information for both the Looney family and the Blevins family. In the application Melinda states "Great Grand Father Samuel Looney who was a full blood Cherokee Indian-He was removed to the Indian Territory with the Indians and afterwards returned to Meigs county, Tennessee where he died about 1862." She was born 9 Aug 1856 in Decatur, Meigs, TN and lived in South Pittsburg, Marion, TN. She was married to John Powers born 23 Jun 1850. Her father's name was R.E.L. Blevins and her mother was his cousin Amanda Blevins. They lived in Meigs county and McMinn county, TN. He died 2 Dec 1863 and her mother was still living in 1907 when the application was filed. In the upper corner of the application that was done by the Indian Office, Eastern Cherokees, received 21 mar 1907, someone has written lin longhand "Sizemore(?)". Could this be that they believed she was related to the Sizemore family who were proven Indian and had married into the Blevins line? She lists her brohter as Hugh Blevins, born Mar 27 1854 and still living in 1907, Will Blevins, unknown birth, unknown death, J.R. or T. R. Blevins born 26 Nov 1863 and still living in 1907. Her grandparents were listed as father's side: Hugh Blevins and Annie B. Looney Blevins and mother's side: Samuel Blevins and Sarah Blevins. She states she thinks they were born in Meigs county, TN. and they resided in McMinn, Meigs and Bradley county TN. The children of her grandparents were Melissa Blevins married to E. Higdon both dead -died in 1877 in Meigs county, TN. (I show E. Higdon died in 1871 and Melissa in 1877). They resided in Calhoun, TN., Hugh Blevins died in the west-date unknown, resided in Meigs county, TN., Samuel Blevins, present residence unknown (I show him in Oklahoma). , and Hoyl Blevins , died in infancy in Meigs county, TN (This child I did not have). She stated she "made application in 1891 to W.A. Thomson Telequol Ind Terr? or Tenn? for citizenship-was notified to come for identification which I was unable to do by reason of poverty." "I claim through my father, R.E. L. Blevins, who was a son of Annie B. Looney Blevins, who was a daughter of Samuel Looney, a Cherokee Indian." dated 16 Mar 1907. She was rejected because she did not show, not because she could not prove relationship. My mother, Virginia Margaret Powers, who is 92 years old told me tonight that when her father Lonzo Dallas Powers died (Lonzo is the son of Melinda Adelaide Blevins and John Frederick Powers) two men (one black or so they thought) came to her mother Lillie Pearl Clark and tried to get her to claim citizenship to the Cherokee for money and Lillie did not believe them and sent them on their way. They certainly could have used the money because when Lonzo died by being killed by a train he left a young family of 7 children and a 26 year old wife. There has always been the usual stories about Indians in the family but this is the first time we have found any evidence of it. This is the Samuel Looney born 1778 in Washington county, VA who died 1874 in Knoxville, Knox, TN and was married to Sarah Evan Childress born 5 Jul 1778 in Cumberland county, VA and died abt 1862 in Meigs county, TN. They had 10 children including Anna Burton Looney. Anna Burton Looney was married to Hugh Torbett Blevins born 1801-1805 in Decatur, Rhea, TN and died 26 Aug 1836 in Rhea county, TN. They had 12 children including Rodney Evan Looney Blevins. He was born 1829 in Rhea county, TN and died 2 Dec 1863 at Tunnel Hill GA during the Civil War. He was married to Amanda E. Blevins, a cousin, born Nov 1833 at Decatur, Meigs, TN and died aft Mar 1907. They had four children including Melinda Adelaide Blevins. She and John had Lonzo Dallas Powers, my grandfather. They had 9 children including Lonzo. Lonzo married my grandmother Lillie Pearl Clark and they had seven children including my mother Virginia Margaret Powers. She and my father Curtis Elmore Harris had six daughters including myself, Crystal Harris Burnham. Hope this helps some of you. I am so excited about it, can you tell? Enjoy. Crystal