Buddy Holly ancestry help

This is the Meli Ward, (Full Blood Cherokee) Adopted referred to.

There are notes that point to records in this profile:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Taylor-24238 corresponds to Mary "Polly" Ray (Taylor)

From Find a Grave:

Mary "Polly" Taylor was the daughter of William S. Taylor (1/4 Cherokee) and Meli Ward (Full Blood Cherokee). She married John Ray in Fayette Co, Alabama in 1825. Her children submitted applications to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Muskogee Area Office, Relating to the Enrollment of the Five Civilized Tribes under the Act of 1896. They listed Cherokee as the tribe on the application.

She was also the GG grandmother of Charles Hardin Holley, known in the entertainment world as Buddy Holly.

Quoting from the research notes of B.R. Conolly, page 10 of 15:

The Rays Look Back, by Marvin Basil McCarley; pg. 70:”... John Ray of Georgia, born 1 Jan. 1800 Ga.; d. 16 July 1884, Wise Co., Tex.; m. ca. 1825 Cherokee Indian Territory, Ala. to Mary Taylor... John was in Fayette Co., Ala. prior to 1840...when they moved to Itawamba Co., Miss. Mary was part Indian. They had twelve children, five boys and seven girls. When the war began in 1861, the four oldest boys, Lee, William Green, Thomas and Charles disappeared, and were never heard from again....At the close of the war in 1865 the family moved to Johnson County, Texas, and settled near Blum...They returned briefly to Alabama, and later returned to Texas and settled in Wise County..."

Although no sources were given, it was proven by the pension application of Solomon Ray that Green Berry and John were his brothers. It has also been proven by descendants of John’s family.

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From census records we learn they had the following children:

1. William Green Ray (1830–)
2. Thomas Ray (1832–)
3. Charles Ray (1834–)
4. Andrew Jackson Ray (1836–1896)
5. Rebecca Ray (1838–) Mrs Gentry
6. Sidney Reden Ray (1838–1906) Mrs Drake
7. Levi Ray (1842–)
8. M Charlotte "Lottie" Ray (1845–1929) Mrs Gentry
9. Nancy Jane Ray (1847–1911) Mrs King
10. Solomon Tanza Ray (1848–1930)
11. George Washington Ray (1854–1930)

This record should be findable:

Charlotte Gentry

Application for Enrollment in the Cherokee Nation - Affidavit15 Aug 1896 , Wise County, Texas, USA

R C Carney Affidavit

State of Texas

County of Wise

Before me the undersigned authority personally appeared R. C. Carney who being by me duly Sworn Says I knew John Ray and his Wife Mary Ray both now deceased and I know that they raised a daugther name Sharlottie who is a sister to Sidney Reden Jamison and that she ... Sharlottie Ray marrie Sam Gentry and now lives near Decatur in Wise County Texas. This August the 15 1896.

R. C. Carney His Mark X

Sworn and suscribed to before me this August the 15th 1896. PT, Notary Public Wise County, Texas

G W Ray Affidavit

Before me the undersigned authority personally appeared G W Ray who being by me duly Sworn Says I knw John Ray and his wife, Mary Ray, boath now deceased and I know that they the said John & Mary Ray raised a daughter name Sharlottie who is a sister to Sidny Redden Jamison and I know that the said Sharlottie Ry married Sam Gentry and now living near Decatur in Wise County Texas. This August the 15th 1896.

Signed G W Ray His Mark X

Sworn and suscribed to before me this August the 15th 1896 PWT, Notary Public Wise County, Texas

https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/dawes/dawes-1896... Suggests searching the collection, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1238/

Charlott Gentry in the U.S., Native American Applications for Enrollment in Five Civilized Tribes (overturned), 1896 https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/10058?token=ZhhjQnIw7KMn%2BwNKmKFU...