Match! WA: Charlie Bowlegs dob 7/28/1929; date found 4/13/1999

https://claimus.org/cases/332

Mr Bowlegs is under the jurisdiction of the Spokane ME's office in Washington State.

claimus case 332

Note: First name spelled as "Charley" in SSDI while it is "Charlie" in NamUs.

"United States Social Security Death Index," Charley Bowlegs, 1999
First Name: Charley
Middle Name:
Last Name: Bowlegs
Name Suffix:
Birth Date: 28 July 1929
Social Security Number: 567-38-4003
Place of Issuance: California
Last Residence: Spokane, Washington
Zip Code of Last Residence: 99201
Death Date: 14 April 1999
Estimated Age at Death: 70

For the postings below, I am not sure if this is the right Charley Bowlegs, but there are consistent mentions of this name linked to the Birdwell family.

Listing for a "Charley Bowlegs" in the 1940 census with an estimated birth year of 1930.

"United States Census, 1940," Charley Bowlegs in household of G R Birdwell, Konawa Township, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States
Name: Charley Bowlegs
Titles & Terms:
Event: Census
Event Year: 1940
Event Place: Konawa Township, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 10
Marital Status: Single
Race (Original): Negro
Race (Standardized): Negro
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Stepson
Relationship to Head of Household (Standardized): Stepson
Birthplace: Oklahoma
Estimated Birth Year: 1930
Residence in 1935: Rural
Enumeration District Number: 67-17B
Family Number: 109
Sheet Number and Letter: 7A
Line Number: 13
NARA Publication Number: T627
NARA Roll Number: 3331
Digital Folder Number: 005454672
Image Number: 00519
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head G R Birdwell M 40 Oklahoma
Wife Bessie Birdwell F 25 Oklahoma
Son Roy Birdwell M 1 Oklahoma
Stepson Charley Bowlegs M 10 Oklahoma
Mother Emma Birdwell F 70 Texas

Obituary mention for the same Charley Bowlegs in the 1940 census that places him in Canada: Link here.

Obit published 3-28-1999 in "The Seminole Producer"

Bessie BIRDWELL, age 85

born: 3-2-1914 in Konawa, OK
died: 3-26-1999
buried: Cummings Cemetery in Maud, OK

Parents: Maloche Elizabeth and Billie WOOD, dec'd
Husband: James Birdwell, d. 10-16-1975 (m. 3-31-1938)
Grandson: Thomas Birdwell, dec'd

Survivors:
Dtr: Lucille Birdwell CASTLE of Eufaula, OK
Son: Charley BOWLEGS of Canada
Son: Roy Birdwell of Shawnee, OK
Son: Tommy Birdwell of Tecumseh, OK
Sister: Josephine HINES of California

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Another obituary for Bessie Birdwell that mentions a Charley Bowlegs of Canada: Link here.

She married James Birdwell in Konawa on March 31, 1938; he preceded her in death on Oct. 16, 1975. She was also preceded in death by her parents and one grandson, Thomas Birdwell. Survivors include one daughter, Lucille Birdwell Castle, Eufaula, three sons, Charley Bowlegs, Canada, Roy Birdwell, Shawnee, and Tommy Birdwell, Tecumseh; one sister, Josephine Hines, Calif., 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

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When I saw this info, my first thought is if he was a Cherokee Freedman.

http://www.freedmen5tribes.com/cherokee freedmen facts.doc.pdf

Bessie Birdwell's obituary mentions Charley Bowlegs, but Roy Birdwell's obituaries/memorials do not. Also, in a Birdwell family tree, only Lucille, Roy, and Tommy Birdwell are listed as children of Bessie and James Birdwell.

Birdwell family tree: Link here.

Roy Birdwell listings:
Find-A-Grave Memorial 1
Find-A-Grave Memorial 2
Newspaper clipping

It might be worth reaching out to Roy Birdwell's children to see if Charley Bowlegs is indeed their step-uncle? PM'ing some of the contacts I found to Nemo's Mom and raine.

I am going to send this on to the case manager. Thanks for your hard work.

NM