Understanding the heritage of Rhoda Braden Wright is to understand that there are three John Braden's in her immediate linage. Her father John Wesley (JW) Braden was a son to John and Janetta Braden. Her grandfather John Braden was a son to John Marshall Braden. John Marshall Braden's wife was a full blooded Cherokee Indian. Her name may have been Polly Harris but I am not sure. If no other Cherokee Indians exist in her lineage this would make Rhoda Braden Wright at least 1/8th Cherokee and her children at least 1/16th Indian heritage.
When you get back to the early 1980's much of our information is clouded. However, we do know that John Marshall Braden had only one child on March 11, 1823. As Rhoda tells the story John was afraid that his Cherokee wife was trying to poison him and he left with the young John. John Marshall Braden unable to raise his son as he wished, adopted young John to a "well-off" family. However young John was mistreated, having to beg for meat from the hired servants and almost drowning while fetching water. He was often cold, poorly clothed and treated. Being half Cherokee may have caused this mistreatment but we know that John Marshall rescued his son from the family. I am not sure how young John grew up but eventually he married Janetta Braden his first cousin. Janetta's father James Braden was a brother to John Marshall Braden. John and Janetta Braden then raised 11 children.
I don't have a lot of information on Janetta Braden's background, except her father James Braden, was married to Unicy Smith. James Braden was a brother to her husband's father, John Braden.
To Rhoda Braden Wright, John and Janetta Braden were Grandma and Grandpa. All 11 of John and Janetta Braden's children were born in either Saline or Hamilton County Illinois. Rhoda's father, Johnny was only 11 years old when the family moved to Arkansas. Some of his brothers and sisters were already grown and had left the house when the family moved in 1876.
John and Janetta Braden moved to Clay County Arkansas by crossing on the Ferry at Cape Gireadeau Missouri and purchased 40 acres of ground about five miles West of what is now Piggott Arkansas. Yet in 1876 there was still no Piggott or even railroad in this area.
Rhoda describes the house that her grandparents built in Clay county as a two room house close to a good spring and in the hills. With only two large Rooms a fireplace in each room provided heat for the winter. Is was in this house of John and Jannetta Braden that Rhoda's father John Wesley (JW) Braden grew up.
In the late 1800's, there was yet no town or railway in this part of the country. Rhoda describes how both in the spring and fall neighbors would gather together and make a week long trek to Cape Gireadeau for supplies such as flour, salt and sugar. In her tape she details the daily food and how the Sunday biscuits were a special occasion to her grandpa while growing up. During this time, the town of Piggott began to grow and develop. By the time that John Wesley and Alice B. Ritch got married, Piggott had begun to develop.
John Marshall Braden
Polly Harris, (Cherokee maiden?)