This is week four of the 2015 #52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge where a group of us blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year.  To learn more about the 52 Ancestor Challenge visit Amy Johnson’s site at Amy’s website.

This week’s theme is writing about an ancestor that share a birthday close to the author’s. I chose America Baker, a Gemini like me. Her life was much different than mine. She was married twice, bore and lost children and lived never more than 100 miles of her birthplace. Me, I have traveled the world with no familial constraints.

The name “America” as a girl’s name may seem tacky choice to name a child today. The Spanish pronunciation is more popular due to actress América Ferrera. However, this name was popular for girls during the 1800’s. Four of my collateral female ancestors’ have the first name “America.”

America Baker’s grandfather, Jacob Studebaker was one of the early settlers of Muhlenberg County, Ky. The prefix “Stude” was dropped from the surname by her grandfather in the early 1800’s. However, his children and grandchildren continued to switch back and forth between using Studebaker and Baker before settling on “Baker.”

America first husband was, Joseph Coffman. Both the Studebaker’s and Coffman (alt. spelling Kaufman) were of German descent. First settling in Virginia, moving west to Pennsylvania, before settling in Muhlenberg and McLean counties in Kentucky.

Both her grandfather and father, Samuel Baker, owned slaves. As well as the Coffman family. On the 1860 Slave Schedule, both Joseph Coffman and Samuel Baker, each own one slave. Each slave has a remark listed that they may belong to the estate of James Rust. America and Joseph live in a farm next to her father. They could have farmed tobacco or hops.

America and Joseph have two daughters, Nancy (Nannie) (b. 1858) and Fredonia (circa 1859). Fredonia is not listed on the 1870 Census and may have passed away. America becomes a widow in 1862 when Joseph dies.

In 1868, America marries, William H. Woodburn. William is my first cousin, five times removed. The marriage is also his second. America becomes a step-mother to William’s four children. One of those is William T. Woodburn, who is four at the time of the marriage. He is not listed on the 1870 Census, either. He may be the child who, listed as Thomas Woodburn, age 5; dies of brain fever; according to the 1870 Mortality Schedule.

Allegedly there were three daughters born to this marriage. A daughter named, Martha, age one, is enumerated on the 1870 Census. William’s, three children from his first marriage, Charles, Mary, and Richard are included, along with America’s daughter, Nannie Coffman. There is some records and a few family trees that may support the existence of the other two children. I did find a discrepancy on the 1880 census that may point to a different direction.

Unfortunately, America becomes a widow again when William passes away in 1874. She is now 35 years old. It is not known if she had any property or money from her first husband, Joseph Coffman. William Woodburn was both a farmer and Baptist reverend. William’s sons, Charles or Richard may have inherited the farm or it was sold off.

William’s headstone lists both his wives. The death date for America Baker Coffman lists 1874 as the year of her death. This is another discrepancy as America may have lived past 1880. There is erroneous information that incorrectly attaches a death date of 1908 for America because of similar named individual. I believe America Baker Coffman Woodburn most likely died before 1900.

An 1874 marriage bond for Nannie Coffman, indicates she will marry James Williams at America Woodburn’s house on May 3, 1874. I find America Woodburn enumerated on the 1880 Census with James and Nannie Williams, along with their three children. America is listed as a boarder. Not listed, is Martha Woodburn, America’s daughter by William Woodburn. This may be an indication that Martha has died.

If America had any children with William Woodburn that lived through their infancy, where are they? The other two supposed daughters were named, Anna and Hallie Woodburn. They would be under 10 years of age in 1880. America could have been visiting Nannie in 1880. But who would have watched the children if she was just visiting. I have not found a record, yet, that leads me to them.

America suffered the loss of two husbands, two of her own children and one step-child by the age of. With no property of her own she lives with her oldest daughter. She has lived all her life in Kentucky.

Source Photo: Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 25 January 2015, memorial page for America Baker Woodburn (1835–1874), Find A Grave Memorial no. 120794769, citing Bethel Church Cemetery, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky; the accompanying photograph by Anita R. Austill are materially informative, but do not provide a legible image of the inscribed data.