Cooper, Safronia nee Deerhead

MILLER APPLICATION # 1173

Safronia Cooper nee Deerhead
Mark, Oklahoma

Admitted.
Applicant’s mother was enrolled by Drennen in Tahlequah District # 43.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs
Washington, D. C.

Sir:
I hereby make application for such share as me be due me of the fund appropriated by the Act of Congress approved June 30, 1906, in accordance with the decrees of the Court of Claims of May 18, 1905, and May 28, 1906, in favor of the Eastern Cherokees. The evidence of identity is herewith subjoined.

State Full Name:

English Name- Safronia Cooper
Indian Name- Ah-ghu-yah

Residence- 7 miles Southeast of Choteau, Indian Territory

Town and Post Office- Mark, Indian Territory
County- 7th Recording District
State- Indian Territory

Date and Place of Birth- January or February 1862. Tahlequah District, Cherokee Nation.

By what right do you claim to share? If you claim through more than one relative living in 1851, set forth each claim separately:

My mother-Rachel Cook, roll of 1851
My aunt- Betsy Deerhead, roll of 1851
My brother- John Deerhead, roll of 1851
My father- Oowa-tse, roll of 1851
My aunt- Nelly, roll of 1851
My grandfather- Scar-you-oo-cah, roll of 1851

Are you married? YES

Name and age of wife or husband- Joe Cooper, 50 years old.

Give names of your father and mother, and your mother’s name before marriage-

Father- English name- Watie Deerhead
Indian name- Oo-wa-kah-su-hi

Mother- English name- Rachel Deerhead
Indian name- La-chi-la
Maiden name- Rachel Cook

Where were they born? Places of birth, unknown.

Where did they reside in 1851, if living at that time
Both parents residing in Tahlequah District, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory.

Date of death of your father and mother?
Father died about close of the Rebellion in 1864. Mother died during the Rebellion about 1863.

Were they ever enrolled for annuities, land, or other benefits? If so, state when and where-
In Tahlequah District on the Emigrant Rolls of 1837.

Name all your brothers and sisters, giving ages, and if not living, give date of death-
John Deerhead b. Unknown d. 1877

State English and Indian name of your grandparents on both father’s and mother’s side, if possible-
Father’s side- Unknown

Mother’s side- Sca-yer-oo-cah and Unknown

*(I have listed the Drennen Roll Groups at the end of this application. It seems that maybe Saphronia is mistaken about which side of the family comes from which, since all her folks died when she was at a young age. She claims that her grandfather on her mother’s side is Scar-yar-oo-cah, however, Oo-wa-tee is listed as child of Scar-yar-oo-cah’s in Group # 40, which would be her father’s side.)

Where were they born? UNKNOWN

Where did they reside in 1851, if living at that time?
Sca-yer-oo-cah in Tahlequah District, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory.

Give names of all their children, and residence, if living; if not living, give dates of deaths

English name- Nelly
Indian name-
Residence- Dead

English name- Oo-watie
Indian name-
Residence- Dead

English name- John Deerhead
Indian name-
Residence- Dead

English name- Betsy
Indian name-
Residence- Dead

English name- Lewis and Rachel Cook*
Indian name-
Residence- Dead

*(I am not sure who Lewis Cook would be unless it is Rachel’s father?)

Have you ever been enrolled for annuities, land, or other benefits? If so, state when and where-
On all the Cherokee rolls since my birth and also in the Dawes Commission rolls.

To expedite identification, claimant should give the full English and Indian names, if possible, of their paternal and maternal ancestors back to 1835.

REMARKS

(Under this head the applicant may give additional information that he believes will assist in proving his claim).

I am a full-blood Cherokee Indian. (Wardee?) and all my folks all died when I was young, all the information I can gather is given her within.

Note: Answers should be brief but explicit: the words ‘yes’ , ‘no’, and ‘unknown’ may be used in cases where applicable. Read the questions carefully.

I solemnly swear that the foregoing statements made by me are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signed: Safronia ‘X’ Cooper

Witness to Mark: Nannie S. Baugh and E. S. Adair

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 16th day of October 1906.

Signed: J. L. Baugh, Notary Public

AFFIDAVIT

(The following affidavit must be sworn to by two or more witnesses who are well acquainted with the applicant.)

Personally appeared before me E. S. Adair and W. L. Wilder, who being duly sworn, on oath depose and say that they are well acquainted with Saphronia Cooper, who makes the foregoing application and statements, and have known her for 30 years and 25 years, respectively, and know her to be the identical person she represents herself to be, and that the statements made by her are true, to the best of their knowledge and belief, and they have no interest whatever in her claim.

Witnesses Signatures: E. S. Adair and W. L. Wilder

Subscribed and sworn to before me on this 16th day of October 1906.

Signed: J. L. Baugh, Notary public

Drennen Roll Group # 40-Tahlequah District

Scar-yar-oo-cah
Nelly
Oo-wa-tee

*Drennen Roll Group # 42-Tahlequah District

John Deerhead
Betsey Deerhead
Lewis Deerhead

*(Saphronia claims that she has a brother named John Deerhead that is on the roll of 1851 and an aunt Betsty on the roll of 1851. Saphronia was born 1862 and her mother is listed alone on the 1851 Drennen Roll. Maybe she was talking about an Uncle John Deerhead, brother to her father, that might have been married to a Betsy, thus the entry of Tahlequah Group # 42 listed here.)

Drennen Roll Group # 43-Tahlequah District

Rachel Cook

Drennen Roll Group # 45-Tahlequah District

*John Cook

*(Not sure just how John Cook fits in)

*Saphronia Cooper nee Deerhead, listed as full-blood Cherokee

1880 Cherokee Census # 301-Saline District as Saphronia Deerhead-16 yrs.

Dawes Roll # 29723, Census Card # 2688

*Transcriber notes

Transcribed by Catherine Widener, 2003