For over a year this writer corresponded with Geneva Williamson of Robbins, NC. Often we exchanging two or more letters each week. Geneva was most graceous and helpful in assisting me to gain information about the Ritter family. I refer to her as a walking encyclopedia on the Ritter family. While not closely related to the Ritters there is some indirect relationship. I often wondered if perhaps she knew more about Ritter Family history than anyone at one point.

In February her letters abruptly stopped and after sending several more letters without receiving a reply I tried calling without success. It was then that I contacted my cousin, Susan Queen in Charlotte, who checked with her Mother and after a few more phone calls to someone in Robbins we learned that Geneva had been in an automobile accident and was seriously injured. As I understand she is fully paralyzed and not expected to live. At that point she was in the ICU at Duke in Chapel Hill, NC.

Information on her condition has been hard to get. I did phone her sister, Ms. Pearl Welch in Robbins in June, and was told that Geneva was scheduled for additional surgery that might help her condition. we are at a total loss as to how or where she is now. If any of you are in a position to get information on Geneva I would appreciate hearing about her situation.

The following information has been extracted from "Applications from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Five Civilized Tribes Enrollment Act of 1896". These records are available on microfilm, Microfilm Series M1650, Genealogy Section of the Dallas Public Library.

MAJOR C. LOGGINS. On his application, Major C. Loggins states he is one-quarter Cherokee, his mother was Elizabeth Loggins nee Ritter, daughter of Jane Ritter nee Young, who died in Alabama in 1879. his mother immigrated to Arkansas where she died. Major C. Loggins married Dora E. Lodd. Loggins lists his address as Sallisaw, I.T., and signed the application on September 2, 1896.

Witness: John Ross, 73, full blooded Cherokee, Wauhillau, I. T.
Ross states he was well acquainted with Jane Young in the old Nation, now the state of Tennessee, she was a full blood Cherokee. She moved from Tennessee to Alabama and Ross also knew her there. Dated June 6, 1896.

Witness: A. J. Smith, 75, Talequah, I. T.
Smith states he personally knew the Young family in middle Tennessee. William Young had a daughter named Jane Young. There was also a James Young, Joe Young (a preacher) and a Roach Young (horse racer) and a Jacob Young - all Cherokee Indians. A part of this family moved to Alabama in an early day. Dated Nov. 19, 1894.

Witness: William Young, 54, Sallisaw, I.T. Full blood Cherokee and member of the Executive Council of the Cherokee Nation.
Young states he is acquainted with Major C. Loggins and Delila C. Perce, they are his 3rd cousins. Their grandmother Jane Ritter nee Young was my first cousin, she was Cherokee born in middle Tennessee and died in Alabama. Her daughter Elizabeth Young married Charles Loggins. Elizabeth was my second cousin by blood.

Witness: Lydia Matthews, 38, McKey, I.T. Matthews states she is a full blood Cherokee and is the daughter of Pagy. Young. She states Roach Young and Bill Young are her mother's brothers-Matthew's uncles. Major Loggins and Delila Perse are my cousins and one-quarter Cherokee.

Witness: J.J. Lewis, 53, Hartford, Sebastian County, Arkansas.
Farmer, citizen of U.S. Affiant declares in relation to the above named application as follows to wit: This is to certify that I have know Major C. Loggins and Delila E. Purse from birth up to the present time. Also know their mother and grandmother and know them to be Cherokee by blood and I have never heard it disputed in my life. I lived in the neighborhood and was well acquainted with their relatives. That is the Young family and know them to be Cherokee by blood. The mother of the claimants is about a half breed Cherokee Indian to the best to my knowledge. We lived in Alabama and a great many of the Young families left and went West. Joe Young a Cherokee Indian and a preacher by profession he was their great uncle he went to the Cherokee Nation. Their grandmother Jane Ritter could not speak English plain and shown the Cherokee blood very plain. Big Jim Young and Bill Young are brothers and are Cherokee by blood and one of them is the father of Jane Ritter whose maiden name was Young and she is the grandmother of Major Loggins and Delila Purse. Now I have heard Jane Ritter's husband tell her several times that she was a Cherokee and have heard the Cherokee blood throwed up to the family quite a number of times and everybody in the County called them Cherokee Indians. Wilhe Young was a Cherokee by blood and was related to Loggins and Delila Purse. She married a man by the name of Miller he lives in Cherokee County, Alabama. Nancy Young was a Cherokee and blood kindred to Major Loggins and Delila Purse she married a man by the name of Bill Emberson he lives in Itwamba County, Mississippi. I was borned in Alabama in the same neighborhood of those people and lived with them 40 years and have always heard the Cherokee blood thrown up to the family. I have heard white people say that the Cherokee people ought to go to the Cherokee Nation where they belong and stay with their own people. I have also heard their grandfather say if he could sell his farm that he would take his Cherokee woman and go to the Cherokee Nation among her people. There has been a great many Youngs that are Cherokees and connected to the Loggins and Delila Purse that left Alabama and wet west. There was Roach Young who was know as a great horse racer and was very wealthy he was an old man when he left he was also a connection of this family. All of the old set of the Young family talk very broken English and all shown more or less Cherokee blood. Now I do this free of charge. I do this in behalf of the applicant to which this proof is made for as I am well acquainted with the applicants and know them to be respectable people and deserve their rights and it is justly do them and they should have it.

Transcribed by J. W. Bayless, P. O. Box 800126, Dallas, TX 75380-0126, May 30, 1995.