Need to find the correct spelling of my mothers maiden name?
She is dead since 1992, Opal Marie Lafler was her married name, Opal Marie Mc Elmurry(?)was her maidn, also how do I find out how much Cheerokee Indian was she and do I qualify for any benefits under her saposed tribe? She was I believe born and raised in Little Rock Arkansas

Duplicated

To have Indian *benefits* you have to be something like 50% Native American.
Your mother would have to have been full blooded Indian for you to be enough to qualify. Unless your father had some Indian too. I am sure it is somewhere between 45 to 60%

As to finding info on your mother, the most inportant info is "WHEN WAS SHE BORN?" But even without that I found this : born 27 Aug orApril 1938 Arkansas. And she was living in Waushara, wiconsin (Red Granite?). Does the name Vada, Elmer or Elender have any attaachment to her? There are several Mcelmurry's in Arkansas, most are white, but a few are Cherokee, I have acsess to 1900 census records for Cherokees. You must know here parents names? (yur grand parents). The more you give, the more you get in the genealogy game. I got all kinds of paid internet geneolgy sites, would love to do it for fun. Also as to benefits, the statement someone made of 50% is totally not true. Most Benefits, and it varies with tribes , states and Govt, go to 1/8th (one of your great grand parents). Some even go to 1/16th, one of your great great grand parents. Much has to do with remaining members of tribes and nations these days. Some are very small, and each further back, other ones only go back to your parents (50%), but that is rare actually, most are 25%. Yet some are very exclusive , and only true bloods (pure) and verified can get any Benefits. You do have to be able to verify your facts.