My family tree has several dead ends that may have moved out of the southeast area to Texas or Oklahoma. Our Indian Great-Great Grandmother (traditionally believed to be named Mary Jane Johns) was married (?) to a Stephen Hester. By Him she had six known Hester children. It is very possible that she and her husband (?) Stephen followed the Trail of tears or simply fled westward to avoid it and ended up in OK or TX, leaving her children behind with a woman named Phibe Hester (Possibly a sister in law). The Children are:



1) McCaga or Micejoh (he appears in Cencus records both ways) born abt 1828, who disappears from the census records after 1880 at age 52.



2) William Milton Hester born 1833, died 1910, in AL,



3) Mariah Ann "Martha" Hester b 1836, and her illegitimate son Andrew Jackson Hester born 1869 who are last seen in the census record after 1880. Martha would have been about 44 and Andrew only 11 years old when last found.



4) James Washington Hester born 1837, last seen in the census record in 1860, would have been about 23 when last found.



5) Francis Marion Hester born 1845, died 1904, in AL.



6) Andrew Jackson Hester (my Great-Grandfather born 1846, died 1906, in AL.



I can't help but believe that someone out west somewhere is looking to connect with either McCaga, James W. or Martha and her son Andrew J. Hester. I feel sure at least Martha and her son moved somewhere outside of the Al-Ga-TN area and will be found somewhere one day with another Hester line down to the present!