Aunt Ida Belle Henson Williams: Hunting the Cherokee connection and finding Aunt Ida

 


Ida Belle Henson Williams, b Oct. 30, 1878 in Monroe County, TN, d. Feb 18, 1966 in Bridgeport, AL

Aunt Ida Belle was the sister of my great grandfather, John C. Henson.

John T and Ida Belle Henson were children of John C. and Sarah McClannahan -Black-McKenzie Henson of Monroe County TN.   John T. Henson was the son of Lazarus Henson and Nancy Cash (of the Johnny Cash clan).  Sarah McClannahan-McKenzie-Black is the Cherokee connection.  ("McClannahan" on the marriage record of Feb 22, 1859. amd "Black" on a later Monroe County census)

For me, there has long been a vague notion (as if in a dream of long ago) that my grandmother told me that her grandmother "was an Indian.  Her name was Sarah Hellen *Tommor Black."  

*( interpreted by my young mind as being 'tomorrow')

More recently, I was provided (thanks to Larry Williams) with these photographs of Ida Belle Henson Williams who was my grandmother's Aunt.  These photos obviously validate my recollections of the stories my Grandmother told me long ago.....

The John Walter Williams Family

The parentage of Ida's mother Sarah is very confusing (having used 3 surnames at different times) but the legend of a probable Cherokee connection have found their way to Rootsweb and Ancestry.com.

Sarah Black Henson

"John C. Henson and wife Sarah were married 22 Feb 1859 in Monroe Co., TN. Their first children born there, then after the Civil War they moved to Marion Co., TN.

It's hard to find Sarah's family, but there are people who have worked on them. Sarah was Sarah Helen McKenzie. Her mother was Louisa McKenzie, dau of Chesley McKenzie & Cherokee wife Elizabeth. Sarah's mother Louisa had 8 children who's names and ages varied depending on census taker's interpretation. Some of her children fathered by neighbor John *Prock (a Minister) and she also took the name Black by 1860 census, but she was never married. Some of her children went by the name Black."

*Mr. Prock is the minister who signed the marriage record of John C Henson and Sarah McClannahan in Monroe County, TN, 1859