Dewitt Clinton Blankenship

http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/wyoming/history/other/lesterfa46gm...

County of Lewis State of Washington}ss

Mary Blankenship, being duly sworn, says that she is 82 years old and that her father’s name was John Lester and [of] Tazewell Co. Va. I knew Abner H. Lester. His Indian name was Friday. When I was a girl 10 or 12 years old the Indians visited our house brought me play things. My father and Abner was half- brothers. The Lesters claimed to be part Indian. I lived near the Lesters for 45 or 50 years. Their looks and appearance would lead me to believe that they was part Indian. They associated with the Indians and the Indians with them. Witness L. L. McKibben

D. H. Blankenship. D. C. Blankenship Mary X her mark Blankenship

Subscribed to and sworn to before me this the 30th day of May 1908

J. L. McKibben Justice of the Peace residing at Mossyrock, Lewis Co. Washington.
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County Lewis State of Washington } ss

Dewit Clinton Blankenship, being first duly sworn, says that he is 79 years old and I knew Abner H. Lester in W. Va. Knew him about 40 or 45 years. He always claims to be part Indian and look like he was. The neighbors generally called him part Indian or Indians. He had long straight black hair, high cheek bones.

D. C. Blankenship Subscribed to and sworn to before me this the 30th day of May 1908. J. L. McKibben Justice of the peace residing at Mossyrock , Lewis Co. Washington.
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County of Lewis State of Washington

De Wit Clinton Blankenship, being sworn says that he is 76 years old, and Mary Blankenship says she is 82 years old. Patsy Lester was a sister to Abner H. Lester. I have known her 40 or 50 years. She looks like it. Long, straight, black hair, dark skin, high cheek bones. All the neighbors generally call the Lesters Indians. We know D. H. Blankenship to be the grandson of Patsy Lester. I knew Conley Blankenship and Mary Blankenship in 1834 and 1835. I grew up with them in Va, Tazewell Co. Conley Blankenship was a son of Patsy Lester [and] Abner H. Lester was a brother of Patsy Lester.

Witness J. L. McKibben Mary X Blankenship D. C. Blankenship Jane Blankenship

Subscribed to and sworn to before me this 30th day of May 1908

J. L. McKibben Justice of the peace residing in Mossyrock, Lewis Co. Wash.

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D. C and Mary Blankenship age near 80 years old. Mossyrock, Wash.

We here by certify that we have been personally acquainted with the grandmother of D. H. Blankenship and three of her brothers from 1843. They lived in Tazewell county, Virginia. They claim to be half-Indian. They wore their hair down round their shoulders. It was straight and nice[?]. Their names was James Luster, Ab Luster, Tom Luster, Patsy Luster [Lester] Amy Sturgon. This is the grandparents of D. H. Blankenship. We don’t know where they was raised. D. H. Blankenship and his parents was raised in Tazewell county Virginia. They was none of them slaves.

D. C. Blankenship Mary Blankenship ________________________________________________________ April 16, 1908 Mossyrock, Wash

Yours of ? date reason and patent noted Will say that I don’t know where my parent was in 1834-45. That was before I was born. I have always been told both of my grandmothers mix with the Cherokee and

I have seen some of my grandmother Blankenship’s brother[s] and that they look  like Indians.  Their hair black and straight. None of them was slave so far as  I know.  My parents was mix[ed] with Indians and white people. 

I remain yours

Truly, D. H. Blankenship [app. 31763]