Our Somers Family Heritage

3rd Great Grandmother Mary Ann Jones, 2nd Great Grandmother Nancy Jones Wright, Great Grandmother Maggie Lenoa Wright Weaver, Grandmother Lillian Mae Weaver Somers with oldest daughter Mamie Irene. Taken in the 1920's, Clay Co, Arkansas By Angela Wittman Some of my earliest memories are of my parents talking about our native ancestry, and I grew up with stories of being part Cherokee and how my Grandfather lied about his native ancestry to avoid discrimination. It was always taken for granted by my cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. on the Somers side that we are part Native American. So, when a cousin (now deceased) and I began looking for a “paper trail” of the Cherokee ancestry approximately 25 years ago and we couldn’t find documentation, I continued the research. I believe there is evidence that will lead to our native ancestry and I hope to present some of that evidence here. Henry Francis Somers I’ll begin with physical appearance: My Great Grandfather, Hen

"The Beekmans were steadfast Protestants from the time that Martin Luther protested against the corruptions of the Church of Rome in 1521."  ( History of the Beekman Family , Rootsweb )   Wilhelmus Beekman is reported to be my 7th Great Grandfather on the Somers side of the family. His  Great Granddaughter, Catherine Arden, married Capt. John Somers (Rev. War – my 4th Great Grandfather) in 1780 and they settled in Caswell County, NC. After John died, she married an officer named Lemmon. (I live near Fort Lemmon in Monroe County, Illinois, but haven't yet determined if it is named after Catherine's second husband.) Wilhelmus Beekman's grandfather, Rev. Gerardus Beekman (1558-1625) was active in promoting the Reformed religion and "was one of the distinguished scholars who translated the King James Bible from the original manuscripts into English for James I and for his services received special honors from the King. [12] " ( Wikipedia ) He

I'm reblogging this bit of Christian His-Story in honor of the Somers family heritage which began with Capt. John Somers of Caswell County, NC in the 1700's, and continued with his son in Tennessee and eventually my Great Grandfather settling in Butler County, Missouri... and to my Native American Cherokee ancestry which was hidden for many years to avoid racial persecution. - AW The original Burnt Swamp Baptist Church hosted meetings that led to the formation of the Burnt Swamp Baptist Association in 1881. The association moved the structure, which has its original floor joists, to the current association office property in Pembroke, N.C. (Photo by Alan Oxendine) By Jim Burton - Posted at Baptist Press: PEMBROKE, N.C. (BP) -- In 1881, Burnt Swamp Baptist Association, an association of Native American Baptist churches, was established. From its humble beginnings of three churches in Robeson County, N.C. -- two of which still exist -- the association now includes 70 ch