The Journey - Part One

Two years ago, my brother Doug, my mom and I embarked on a journey that struck the core of my soul. It only lasted a few days, but the impact still lives fresh.

We were on a treasure hunt for the story of our Choctaw ancestors. My mom began the journey some fifteen years ago, and my brother and I have now joined her.

The trip started on a Friday in Durant, Oklahoma. At the courthouse, we unearthed my 2G grandmother Ada's allotment papers for the 180 acres she received during the Dawes Rolls Act. She had sold the land just a few years later.

We drove to Oklahoma City early Saturday morning and met Doug at the Oklahoma History Center Museum and Research Library. I was in awe, stepping into another world as time disappeared.

Thanks to a kind volunteer at the research library, we found Ada and her children's original Dawes Rolls registry and great grandfather Willie's birth affidavit. This volunteer later mailed us a huge package with more papers and information on our family.

The mood shifted a bit as we drove the entire length of Oklahoma City without finding a single restaurant. We finally landed at Cracker Barrel in Norman, ate, and found a room at the Holiday Inn we spied a few buildings down.

After a dip in the pool and hot tub, and endless discussions about our findings, the lights went out.

The next morning, we made the three hour drive down to the Hugo area. I wasn't exactly sure what we were searching for, or if we knew where to find it. Something about the family cemetery. Other decedents had already been there and posted pictures on the internet.

We drove down a county road through one of the prettiest parts of Oklahoma I’ve seen. Eyes searched for the old wooden gate on a wooded hill. But following Doug’s truck, my mom and I hadn't seen it when he suddenly put on the brakes. Thankfully, there was zippo traffic on that road. We pulled next to him. He pointed behind us. There, off the road, up a hill, in the trees, was the gate and fence line.

Next week: Our trek into the Robuck family cemetery.