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Laura Mae Wimberley
(possibly Laura Mae Turner)
claim of inheritance

Note: The following newspaper story has not been confirmed as far as Mae Wimberley (Laura Mae Turner?, Bill C.) receiving any money, this is only a record that I have received,  there is no proof that any money was ever paid to anyone as none of our Weaver nor Eddings ancestors were ever signed onto the cherokee rolls, Bill Cook.

(Note: Sent to Eddings list 4/26/2000 by Cal Reinecke)

Some may be aware that I am searching for the legal file behind Mae Wimberley's action against the federal government for failure to fully compensate Dave Weaver. It is this case that is the subject of the 1909 newspaper article in the Salem Republican which many of you have heard about. According to the article, her action was expected to be successful; the government had acknowledged the validity of her claim, and she had very able legal representation. The serious amount of money involved implied Dave Weaver's senior status in the tribe.

I have identified Mae Wimberley in the article as Laura May Turner, daughter of Allen Turner and Martha R. Middleton; her husband was William Joseph Wimberley. The family were Illinois residents. Her children, born after 1885, were Myrtle, Ruth, Mabel, John, Frank, Ernestine, and probably Clyde, Charley, and Janeve. Myrtle married James Rutherford. If anyone knows of the descendants of any of these folks, or of any living member of this family, I would appreciate advice; these folks would have the file on this case.
Cal Reinecke)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ACTUAL ARTICLE

THE ARTICLE: Originally Contributed by Dr. George E. Rose, 19 Orchard Drive, Sandovel, Ill. 62882

Great Granddaughter of an Indian Chief

From: The Salem Republican, issue of Dec. 9, 1909

Mrs. M.E. Wimberly, formerly of Salem but now residing in Taylorville, is to receive in the neighborhood of $25,000 in cash from the United States  Government as her share of a fortune left by her Great Grandfather,David WEAVER, chief of the Eastern Cherokee, an Indian tribe which had lands in South Carolina and Tennessee but which is now practically extinct.

The records at Washington, D.C. show that the government made a settlement with the Eastern Cherokee, through their chief, seventy years ago, for all their lands, allowing them to reserve 19,000 acres and promising them $1,000,000 in cash.

For some reason only one-half of the money was ever paid, leaving a balance due WEAVER, who is long since dead.

Several months ago, Judge HOLT of this city was advised of the above facts by Mrs. Mae WIMBERLY, then residing in Salem, who is the mother-in-law of J. O.. RUTHERFORD, a conductor on the C&EI. Judge HOLT immediately took the matter up with attorney Elizabeth Belva LOCKWOOD of Washington, D.C., and the two have succeeded in getting the government authorities to acknowledge the rightfulness of the claim. The principal and interest now amounts to nearly $3,000,000, and this will be divided among two hundred heirs.

Mrs. WIMBERLY'S mother was named MIDDLETON; (Nancy E. Eddings Middleton,noted by me,Bill C)her grandmother, EDDINGS (Francis E. Weaver Eddings) . Her grandmother was a daughter of David WEAVER, the Indian chief, and was a full blooded Indian princess. She lived for many years at Iuka and is buried there. She married John EDDINGS, a white man. Mrs. WIMBERLY is thus one-fourth Indian.
(Note: Belva LOCKWOOD, attorney mentioned above. succeeded in getting Civil War pensions for many Marion County widows. She was the candidate for U.S. President of the Feminists at one time.)

(Editor's Note: For more material on Chief David Weaver, see the following.)
SOME DESCENDANTS OF CHEROKEE CHIEF DAVID WEAVER ER

(Editor's Note: This typewritten record was donated to the Society by the late Annie Lenora (SMITH) HELM PRUCELL, who had expressed an interest in our Society. She sent the record to Kathryn DANIELS shortly before her death in Nashville, Tenn. In May of this year. Mrs. PURCELL's daughter, Dora Blanche (HELM) Wehmeyer, had planned to have the record published but she predeceased her mother. We found Mrs. PURCELL's recollections so interesting and touching that we wanted to share them. Mrs. PURCELL died just three months short of her 87th birthday. Having read the record as well as many of her poems, we think Mrs. PURCELL must have been a very special kind of lady.

Cherokee Chief (named David WEAVER by the white people) and his wife had a daughter named Lucy (Francis Elizabeth) WEAVER (Granny) (full blood Cherokee Indian) Lucy Weaver EDDINGS (half Cherokee)(Half Cherokee? B.C.> died 1837 (1841, B.C.) somewhere between Tenn. and Ill. (Actually in Ripley Co MO. Bill Cook) who married old Jim (John) EDDINGS (Granther)("for grandfather I think, Bill"), they had a son and daughter (they actually had 11 children why only two named here I don't understand, Bill C.)
James B. (Bird, B.C.) EDDINGS (half Cherokee) died 28 Feb 1901 married Rhonda Ann WEST MILLER and they were parents of Harriet "Hattie" Minerva EDDINGS (1/4 Cherokee), died June 1924. She married 19 Sept. 1867 William MILBURN Civil War soldier), born 27 Jan 1844, died 30 Mar 1927 in Old Soldiers' Home in Quincy, Ill., aged 83.

Lucy (Nancy Elizabeth Eddings) who married William Harrison MIDDLETON and they were parents of Annis Wolf MIDDLETON (1/4 Cherokee), born 24 Dec. 1829, died 10 June 1910 at 80 1/2 years. She married Elihu Ayesure SMITH, born 1809, died Nov 1865, aged 56. (First marriage was Harrison Brazill Mattingly, according to the records I have received, Bill C.)

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