My grandmother was adopted by William H. Sterrett and his wife Mary Elizabeth Grismer.
They didn't marry until 1894 which is the same year Helen was adopted when she was 8
years old.
Helen was born May 17, 1885 in Evansville, Indiana. We have a picture of her in a school
situation with other children who "look" very Indian. The picture has
information on the back that it was taken by a studio in Louisville (Kentucky?). She was
adopted and afforded the best education possible and attended college in Louisville as
well. She spoke 4 languages fluently and for the time period was highly educated. She
worked as a milliner (hate maker) and I have found her on successive census records - all
except of course the 1890 census which was destroyed.
There is no original birth certificate found in the Vandenburg County Indiana database. I
have also check with the Episcopalian church to see if perhaps they have records. Granny
always spoke extremely derogatory of the church - she was raised in that church.
A cousin living in Chicago has tried unsuccessfully to obtain adoption records and was
told when Granny died in 1971 that her records were sealed "because they might
embarass historical figures". We were told to come back in 25 years and when we did
this we were told that some of the old records had been lost in a move to a new facility.
What kind of political cover up is this about? We wonder. Granny said she was related to
historical figures Monroe, Madison and Jackson. Try as we might we can't find a
common connection there.
She married Garnett F. Latham, dentist in 1913 and had five children. He divorced her
after my mother was born and went to live with his secretary, putting her two children
through college and ignoring his own children until death. No one in the family knows the
whole story of Helen's adoption and her real family. She told us she was full blood
Cherokee Indian, however we believe her father was Irish and perhaps Shawnee Indian. The
full blood status is because blood lines for the Cherokees are through the mother. She
was not on the rolls nor is anyone named CANTON.
We have spent 35 years trying to track this elusive CANTON family down and would
appreciate any help we can get.
Leslie Thomas