#52Ancestors – No. 4 – Theodocia R. Sims

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors Challenge were we blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year.

In this weeks’ challenge I chose Theodocia Rachael Sims. Theodocia is the wife of last week’s ancestor Benjamin C. Woodburn.  I had assumed early in my research that she most likely passed way before 1890.  I was not able to find a record of her in later years.  Years have come and go and new information has bought a series of dots to connect on this line.

Theodocia was born in 1841, near Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky. She is the daughter of William Sims/Simms and Catherine Woodburn.  William Sims dies within a year or two of Theodocia’s birth. This leaves her mother with seven daughters to rear. Her mother Catherine stays close to the Woodburn family and is enumerated on the same census page in 1850 and 1860. Her farm, if she had a farm, may have been next door to her father’s James Woodburn or brother, Alexander Woodburn.  The Wilson family between the two families, is Catherine’s oldest daughter, Amanda Woodburn Wilson.

 Woodburn's and Sim's 1860 Census

Woodburn’s and Sim’s 1860 Census

Theodocia didn’t go too far to meet her husband.  He was just across the field at her Uncle Alexander’s house. Theodosia married her first cousin, Benjamin Woodburn who was four years younger. Benjamin enlisted in the Union army in 1862 and returned home sometime before 1867.  He and Theodocia married in April 1867 in Christian Co., Kentucky.  I have not been able to find an image of the marriage bond or license.

On the 1870 Census, they reside near Decker Station, Indiana. Four children are listed, with the oldest one, Charles, born in 1864, three years before they married.  Benjamin was in the Civil War for at least 3-4 years.  He could have furloughed from the war and had pre-marital relations with Theodocia.  Or, Theodocia was married before or had relations with another man.  I have not found a marriage record for an earlier marriage.

Fast forward to Civil War Pension records.  Theodocia applies for a widow’s pension in 1892.  So now I know she is still around.  I am still not able to find her in the 1900, 1910 or 1920 Censuses.  While researching her daughter Addie Decker Woodburn, I found information leading me to Theodocia.  I found Addie’s death certificate listing her mother’s name and Addie’s married name (Morris) and residence.  Addie is living in Dallas and/or Fort Worth area of Texas. I started looking to see if I could find Theodocia.  By that time Texas records were added to Ancestry.com.

Eureka! A death certificate is discovered for Theodocia R. Sims Thacker. Theodocia’s death certificate lists Billie Sims and Katherine Woodburn as her parents. The date of her death is August 3, 1926.  The informant on the record is Jimmie Morris, Addie’s husband. At findagrave, there is a headstone for Granny Thacker, no first name.  The spouse on the headstone is M. L. Thacker.

Theodocia_Sims_DeathCert

I have not found any record that definitely connects Theodocia to this M. L. Thacker.  M.L. Thacker is allegedly Marcus Lafayette Thacker born 1831 in Tennessee, died 1920 in Fort Worth, TX.  I do know that M. L. Thacker lived in Christian Co., Kentucky in 1860.  He is enumerated in the same district and not too many pages from the Woodburn’s and Sims.

I continue to search for any listing of Benjamin Woodburn.  I was rewarded a couple of weeks ago when his name came up in a Civil War Remarried Widow Pension Application.  Filed in May 1920, shortly after Marcus Thacker’s death, Benjamin’s widow filed for a pension.  The name on the application is, Theodocia R Thacker.  I’m slowly connecting the dots and tearing down the walls.

TheodociaWoodburn_Thacker_RemarriedWidow_Pension

Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: , Christian, Kentucky; Roll: M653_362; Page: 596; Image: 94; Family History Library Film: 803362.

“Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FWBK-CVC : accessed 25 Jan 2014), Benjamin H. Woodburn and Theodocia R. Sims, 28 Apr 1867.

Headstone:  http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=THA&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=46&GScntry=4&GSsr=481&GRid=58014946&

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