Obituary of Alice B. Davis The Daily Oklahoman June 22, 1935 Vol.43, No. 165 E.K. Gaylord, Editor -------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent ot the contributor, the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Contributed by Linda Simpson greyoaks@brightok.net Indian Nations/Indian Territory Archivist -------------------------------------------------- Death Friday closed the colorful career of Mrs. Alice B. Davis, noted chieftain of the Seminole Indian Nation. She died the victim of heart desease at the age of 82 years. A true pioneer mother, Mrs. Davis, only Indian woman from this section to occupy a niche in Oklahoma's hall of fame, reared her family of ten children unaided after the death of her husband when the youngest was but three. Perpetuating her spirit of usefulness are six daughters, Mrs. W.S. Key, wife of the works relief director for Oklahoma; Mrs. V.L. Kiker, wife of Seminole county's representative; Mrs. E. Aldridge, prominent Wewoka club woman; Mrs. Frank Fleet, Ada and Mrs. John Twinan, Sulphur, Mrs. Ben Locke, Oklahoma City, and two sons, John Davis, of Oklahoma City and Jack Davis, an actor. Her other two children are dead. Mrs. Davis, only woman to hold that office, was appointed chief of the Seminoles by President Harding in 1922. She succeeded her brother, John F. Brown, of Scotish descent and her mother a Seminole of the Tiger Clan. The young doctor met his bride during the original trek of the Seminole from Florida to Oklahoma Territory, He flaunted tribal laws to marry her. After the Civil war, Mrs. Davis moved with her parents to Greenhead Prairie, Pottawatomie county, Oklahoma, after residing at Fort Gibson during the war between the states. At Greenhead Prairie they were neighbors to the Jesse Chisholm family of "Chisholm Trail" fame. In 1874, Alice married George R. Davis of Leroy, Kansas. Widowed after the birth of ten children, she founded the Arbeka Trading Post and post office in Seminole County. There she reared her family, finding time also to take part in tribal affairs. In 1910, she went to Old Mexico to seek possession of a tract of land ceded by the Mexican government to Wildcat, a Seminole warrior, for his gallant defense of the people of Sonora during an outbreak in 1840. Too much time had elapsed, however, and she was unsuccessful in her mission. In 1914, she went back to Florida as a missionary in the Everglades. Funeral services will be held here Sunday afternoon.