Frank and Anne Cochran

My family traveled across the nation just like my ancestors did, living near relatives, seeking work, planting crops, learning to survive in this world. They told us stories about their families, about their journeys, and their many joys and sorrows. Frank knew of his heritage and loved to live off the land; both had a very successful "green thumb" when it came to growing their gardens. Frank told us that his mother was one quarter Cherokee blood. Anne had much more indian blood in her lineage, with her very dark brown eyes and black hair, rich dark complexion, she was a beautiful lady, with good morals and deep faith in the Lord. Anne was always searching for something, trying to fill the hole in her heart from being orphaned at a young age, and raised by her grandparents. For a while they lived in Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Oklahoma before spending a few years in Mesa Arizona, living by Frank's sister Eunice Cochran. No matter where they went, Anne's younger brother, Billy would hop on a train and go visit. He found his home in Enid, Oklahoma where he found peace and work and remained most of his life.

Dad's ancestors came from Scotland and Ireland, settling by 1800 in Kentucky and Ohio, before migrating to Iowa Territory, Indiana, Arkansas and eventually Kansas around 1900. I found his parents in Chelsea, Rogers County, Oklahoma on the 1920 census but they returned to Kansas by 1930. In Oklahoma they were living near his mother's Coonfield relatives who had married native americans. The 1930 census indicated that dad's older brother, Cleo, was born in Missouri, so apparently they moved around quite a bit.

Mom's lineage came from Holland, England, and possibly Pakistan or India, the DNA pages keep me confused on that, but they were in Virginia first, then in North Carolina as those early colonies or counties began to form, but as indian unrest frightened them, they moved on to the south. Some were indian traders, some intermarried with the natives, and eventually through Georgia and Alabama, they finally found a home. There is much research about her surnames and native american blood found on the internet.

Cactus, Desert, and my Cherokee parents

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