How are we all related Gordon/Cheadle/Mitchell families!

Hi Family! It’s been three months since the last Cheadle/Gordon/Mitchell Reunion. What a blessing to get together with so many relatives.

I had the opportunity to speak with a few members who were aware that I’m involved in genealogy and many asked me how we are all related. So, this blog is dedicated to just that question, how are we related?

It is quite simple. Let’s start with three of our oldest common relatives that we are all related to and some of you may possibly remember them or (have at least heard of them). The three relatives are brothers and sister Alfred Gordon, Jack Gordon and Zora Gordon. Their parents were born in the south and eventually ended up west most likely due to slavery and the expansion of people wanting to move west for additional land.

It appears Issac Gordon, their father may have had more than one wife and as a result had quite a number of children. I’m currently in the process of researching this and will share more details at a later date. The youngest 3 children (Alfred, Jack and Zora), appear to be the key to all our family connections. All three children were close in age and born in Freestone County, Texas.

The family eventually moved to Denison, Tx, which many of you know is just across the Red River from Oklahoma. Our Great Great Grandmother and her family lived on the other side of the River in Hendrix, Oklahoma. As this area was developing the railroad became a big employer in the area for young men. It appears Alfred and his brother Jack came into the area to work on the railroad. Also, eventually their sister Zora soon followed and also began to live in Hendrix, Oklahoma.

This is where they met the Chico women, our Great Grandmother Angie Chico and her daughter Julia Pickens.

Here’s the connection. Angie Chico who already had 3 children of her own became pregnant again and had a son, my Grandfather Frank James Gordon by Jack Gordon. Julie Pickens, Angie’s daughter, married Alfred Gordon, Jack’s Gordon’s brother. So as you can see mother and daughter both dated two Gordon men.

Their sister Zora Gordon, had two children with a man in the area named John Mitchell. I don’t know if Zora married John Mitchell but the two sons were given his last name, and this is where the Mitchell name came into the family. Zora eventually married another man in the area, John Ryan but her children still kept their Mitchell last name. Zora became Zora Ryan, however the kids retained their Mitchell last name and the Mitchell family name lives on.

So let’s review:

Angie Chico, mother of Julia Pickens, had a child with Jack Gordon. The child was Frank James Gordon. When Frank grew up he eventually dropped the Gordon last name and became known only as Frank James. (This is from my earlier blog, so please see that blog post for more details). Frank married and had 11 children which are all the James family, who are actually Gordon’s! (wink wink)

Julia Pickens, Angie’s daughter married Jack Gordon’s brother Alfred Gordon. Their marriage brought about 6 kids, Ishmel, Rachel, Ruby, Timothy, John D, and Famey. The kids of course are also all Gordons. As these children grew up two daughters also married brothers. The Cheadle brothers, Vernil and Lawrence. So, this is how we became related to the Cheadle’s.

In many instances on this family tree below, we are actually double related as mother and daughter married 2 brothers in the Gordon Family and 2 sisters in the Gordon Family married 2 brothers in the Cheadle Family.

This brings us to the conclusion, we all became one large family with 3 connections due to Uncle Alfred, Uncle Jack and Aunt Zora, which many of our relatives in generations prior called them.

Hope to share more family info soon!

17 thoughts on “How are we all related Gordon/Cheadle/Mitchell families!”

  1. Thanks so much for this family history info. My grandfather was Ishmel Gordon and his wife Sedonia Lewis Gordon my grandmother. My mother was their daughter, Juline Ruth Gordon Finley. She married my father Quince Z Finley. I have 7 siblings.

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  2. Thank you so much for this Fam!
    My Maternal Grandmother is Rachel Gordon who married Esau Cheadle, of their 15 children is my Mom Matilda. I am the oldest of 4 from her first marriage. I have eight children.

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  4. Zora Ryan is my Grandmother Elsie Mitchell Brewer’s Grandmother, whom also raised her. Elsie mother died when she was 3, and was raised by her grandmother Zora and her father James. The two sons of Zora were twins. Elsie had 5 siblings . Zora other son had 6 children as well whom were all raised close like siblings. Elsie had 5 children, a set of twins as well with my Mother Millicent being the youngest of the twins. Her twin was Vincent Brewer. Her children were Jerry Hodges, Alita Brewer, Bruce Pete Brewer. And the twins Millicent and Vincent. Zora other son children were named Willamae, Caroline, Rosa, Tomothy(female) , Luther and Sam.

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  5. My name is Mary gardner oldest daughter of Anthony Jeffers and Veronica gardner granddaughter of lavada Jeffers who’s mother and father is sedonia and Ishmael Gordon my great grand moma and grandpop

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  8. Thank you for this information ℹ I am daughter of Isiah and Helen Gordon. His parents are Ishmael and Sedonia Gordon. I have wanted to know who grandad parents were and where he was raised. I heard he moved to Oklahoma from Florida. My name is Crystal Gordon Moore. There are 10 children, 3 half siblings. I’m

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    1. Hi Crystal! I don’t remember if I met you when my mom and I were at your dad’s house in Ardmore during the last family reunion before Covid! Anyway, thanks for reading my blog and yes I do know about your Grandfather Ishmael Gordon. He and my Grandfather Frank James Gordon were raised together. My grandfather was actually Ishmael’s Uncle but they were very close in age, more like brothers than uncle and nephew. My grandfather’s older sister was Julia (Pickens) and she married Alfred Gordon they were Ishmael’s mother and father. Ishmael was born in Hendrix, Bryan County Oklahoma. He grew up there and lived there until he moved away to Kansas City later in life. I’m not aware that he spent time in Florida. Every census shows him living in Oklahoma but I don’t know where he was during the 1960’s, however, since that census is not available yet. I believe he moved to Kansas City during the 1970’s. Hope this answers your questions. Let me know if you need further information. Great to hear from you cousin!

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  9. Hi I am DeeWayna Gordon the granddaughter of John Gordon He married my grandmother Fannie Gordon, Ruth Ann Gordon is my mother, Hello Family

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