Adele F. Davis

In a message from Paulette Gregory Davis Feb. 14, 2010:

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Hi Robert - well her it is Sunday again! I will start adding my maternal branch of the family to make it easier to identify - but thanks for all the efforts on my behalf!

O.K. Now for Adele. This was information that came down to us through my Father's family (Leo Davis). Yes, Louise was a spinster. Why she decided to go to Arizona and how she ended up working as an Indian Agent, we don't know. However, part of her work was 'placing' orphaned Indian children - this was a Reservation for Apache Indians. Some reservations were/are peopled with different tribes - and this may have been one of those. Anyway, Louise was working on Adele's 'case' and she placed Adele with a family from Ohio, named O'Donnell. I don't know how old she was. Apparently, Louise kept in touch with several of the children she placed, including Adele. When Adele was adopted, she was told by her adoptive family that she was NEVER to talk about her Apache life or family. And beyong confirming the above facts, no she never did talk about it. I am guessing that since Louise kept in touch, it was she who introduced her in time to the Davis family. If you look at some photos of Adele, she definitely has the traits of a Native American. I was especially struck by the photo of Adele with her children soon after Leo's death. Rima said that she had determined that Adele was from the White Mountain Apache.

What I want to do is a DNA test. I was looking into this a couple of years ago. If I understand correctly, we would need DNA from a male descendant of Adele's. Male DNA carries the markers for this identification.

Well, as I get more information, I will pass it along - I made contact with someone - it is in my records - can't bring it to mind right now - about looking up adoption records for Native American children during that time period. Apparently it is possible - most if not all of them have been preserved.

And the search continues.....!

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