Thomas FANNING

                   Okla Falaya, Choctaw nation is now Madision County, Mississippi.

Sally was 1/2 Choctaw. It is questionable that her parents were actually m arried. There is some evidence that she was born in Lincoln County, Tennes see, rather than Madison County, Mississippi. However, it is far from defi native. Caution is urged. She was known to have lived in Lincoln Coun ty at different periods early in life.Sources: Letter of 3/5/1877 from Sarah to granddaughter Inez Thompson aft er the death of Inez' father William Moore Fannin and brother Jasper Newt on Fannin. Received from Dr. Irv May (Inez' grandson) 4/2/1999. (spelli ng corrections by Irv May). Sarah was residing in Granbury, Texas at the t ime.Grandbury, Tx.March 5, 1877Inez Thompsonin care of ML ThompsonOverton, TxDearest NezzyBeth is helping me write you about your daddy and Jasper. My heart is brok en with them gone but you know they in heaven now in a better place. It h as come to me by way of Pinkstons you are taking it hard. Time and God hea ls us all. I also heard that Martin wants to go north into the nations. Th at being true you'd be better off in Choctaw country than the Chickasaw s. Go only if its for the best.The Brashears will take you in I am sure. I haven't seen any of them or t he Everiges in years but I don't think that matters. Eva sometime we nt by her name in Indian, Illiapoetubbee so you may have to look her up wi th that name. I have no idea what it means as I don't remember how to ta lk Indian anymore. Daddy Tom wont let me since we come to Texas. Micajah t ells me that Martin can talk Indian and not just Choctaw but some Cherok ee too. I am glad to hear most of the Cherokees went north. I never trust ed those Vanns after they did Daddy Tom wrong in Rusk.Hope your momma doing better after such a loss. It is so hard to lose a ch ild as it is on me, I don't know how shes doing it losing both. Be go od to her and maybe you and Martin can take some of the kids back among t he Thompsons. Please come and see us over here as we are not to well the se days. Delphia has been a great help and we all miss you. I am getting t ired so I will close now. Never forget we love you all and your in my pray ers.Epoesi Sally FanninNotes: The Pinkstons were Sarah's daughter Sally Delphia Fannin-Pinkston 's family. Beth may be Sarah Elizabeth Jane Rhea another granddaughter thr ough Mary Elizabeth Fannin-Rhea. Since she was believed to have been illit erate, it is obvious that someone else wrote the letter and I believe th is is what she meant by Beth helping her. The Brashears and Everidges (mis spelled in letter) are cousins, the descendants of Sarah's aunt Jane Apuks hunnubbee-Brashear the wife of Robert Turner Brashear. They all relocat ed to the Choctaw Nation from Mississippi during the removal. Micajah is m ost likely Micajah Pinkston, Sarah's grandson. The Vann's could be a numb er of people as several of this Cherokee family lived near the Fannin 's in Rusk County before the Fannin's moved west. There was some fricti on between the Thompson's and Adair's towards Clement Neely Vann, but it c annot be ascertained if this is who she was referring to. Inez' husband Ma rtin Luther Thompson was a leader of the Choctaws in Texas. Martin Thomps on relocated to Atoka, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory in 1895 along wi th his cousin William C. Thompson and another cousin who was married to h is wife's sister, Robert Lee Thompson. Only William C. Thompson and tho se that remained with him were eventually enrolled as citizens in the Choc taw Nation. Martin and Inez returned to Texas before 1900. For more inform ation see www.chahta.org/ and www.chahta.org/history.htm.It further appears that Thomas Fanning, Sarah's husband did not want h er to speak Choctaw or associate with other Indians. This is probably wh at prompted them to leave Rusk County and most of their children to mar ry non-Indians and fade into the dominant white society. Only her son Nath aniel moved to Indian Territory where he died in the Chickasaw Nation in 1 891.Finally, Epoesi of which she ended her letter is probably the Choctaw-Chic kasaw word Iposi meaning grandmother. J
CT 12/6/01Note: Note: Cheryl Chancellor lists her na me as Mary Sallie Doak. I have never seen this before except on one intern et site without information as to where it came from. JCT 10/1/03