I wish I had started genealogy research much earlier when my grandmother was still alive. With information more readily available, and armed with data from vital records, newspapers, and other records, I have so much more to ask her.
Growing up in Battle Creek, Michigan, we would visit my grandpa and grandma, Harry and Minnie Saxman. They had a large dining table that occupied the entire kitchen of which a constant stream of family, friends, and neighbors would encircle while seven coffee makers churned out Maxwell House slower than we could drink it. Minnie had been a waitress all of her life and she always making sure her guests’ cups were full while dishing up a slice of home-baked pie, a piece of banana bread, or a ham sandwich.
Minnie always had a story to tell.
Minnie’s parents were “Poppy” and “Mama Lucy.” Poppy owned and ran a store in Barboursville while Mama Lucy ruled the roost in the apartment above it. We always heard how Poppy was sheriff of Knox County. And we always heard how she married a “no good man” and had a daughter, “Aunt Pat,” who had lived with Poppy and Mama Lucy. From time to time, Aunt Pat would come in from Virginia to visit. It wasn’t until I was older that I understood she was my father’s sister.
Minnie related how Harlan County was a “mean, violent place” and that she was a waitress in Harlan when they shot a man on the courthouse step. She later remarried to Jules Farmer, who was from Harlan County. Jules worked as a miner, but sometime in the 1940’s, his entire family moved from Harlan County to Battle Creek. Unable to find a job, Jules and Minnie moved back to Kentucky where Jules resumed coal mining. Their first son, Jules Farmer, was born in Chevrolet. Coal mining was dangerous work and Minnie did not approve. She encouraged Jules to return to Michigan where he found a job working for the Battle Creek City Sewer Department. For awhile, they lived in the former barracks of Fort Custer until they bought a new house on Ellis Road. It was this same house where we would visit, and where several of Jules’ family had also resided, to include Jules’ mother, who Minnie described as a “mean, old woman.” Jules and Minnie had three more sons: Terry, David, and Gary.
When Jules died, Minnie remarried again to Harry. Minnie’s siblings would occasionally visit from Ohio, and while I met them, I was young and didn’t really understand who they really were.
Harry died in 1999 and Minnie died in 2004. Fourteen years later, I wish I had started genealogy research much earlier when she was still alive. With information more readily available, and armed with data from vital records, newspapers, and other records, I have so much more to ask her.
Minnie May Linville was born 17 July 1916 in Artemus, Knox County, Kentucky, the fourth child of John Brogan Linville (11 July 1884 – 15 August 1967) and his second wife, Lucinda (02 December 1891 – 12 March 1963).
John had been previously married to Laura Kinder (18 August 1890 – 15 August 1970), the daughter of Jacob and Katherine Kinder. An announcement in the 02 June 1905 newspaper states “John Linvill [sic] and Laura Kinder, were quietly married at the home of the bride. Rev. John Stamper performing the ceremony.” John was twenty; Laura was fourteen. Other newspapers clippings suggest John met Laura through their church where John was Assistant Secretary of the Sunday school, and Katherine Kinder was first teacher.
John and Lucinda married 09 August 1909.
For almost six decades, when repeatedly asked about Lucinda’s background, Minnie, as well as her entire family, would emphatically state “you do NOT want to know that…” Whatever the secret was, Minnie and her siblings took the secret with them when they passed away. We would joke that they must have been part of the Appalachian Witness Protection Program. The only information we knew was one sentence: Lucinda was born to a Rose Baker who had five children from five different fathers.
Working backward in the vital records, Lucinda’s death certificate, with information provided by her husband John, indicates her father was “Sam Early” and her mother was “Rose Baker.” A birth record was also located for Lucinda and John’s daughter Mattie Linville (b. 1911) listing Mattie’s mother as Lucinda Early.
More research into the Barbourville area federal censuses and subsequent records indicate there is only one Sam EARLY and one Rosebell BAKER, both living in the Flat Lick Township area.
Samuel Chase Early
Samuel Chase EARLY (26 JUN 1867 – 07 AUG 1909) was the son of Dr. James H. Early (1808-1885) and Rebecca Cummins (1832-1914).
The 1900 Federal Census has a Sam Early with his wife Elon Keele (m. 1898). At the time, the census indicates Sam was a merchant, while newspapers also claim he was a post office inspector and railway mail clerk.
In 1901, Sam was involved in a shooting with professor Frank P. Farley in which Farley died.
Family history is that Lucinda’s husband John Linville was sheriff of Knox County, yet we are unable to locate any evidence. There’s no mention in the censuses, newspapers, or other records. Interestingly, Sam Early ran for sheriff of Knox County in 1904:
Included in the newspaper accounts above is an article where have Sam is working or socializing with members of the Baker family.
Sam was murdered on 08 AUG 1909, a day before Lucinda Baker’s marriage to John Linville. He left behind a widow, Elon (Keele) Early, and a 9-month old son, Samuel Coone Early.
John Henson would later be found guilty in 1910, sentenced to life imprisonment, and then pardoned. The case against William Smith would have a similar outcome:
Note that the last article describes Sam as a “merchant”, with no reference to past or present duties as sheriff.
Other than the article regarding Sam’s association with Kit Baker, Rosbell’s first cousin, no other smoking gun could be found to corroborate the information in Lucinda Baker’s death certificate.
Rosebell Baker
Rosebell BAKER (24 OCT 1869 – 02 FEB 1955) was the daughter of James Madison Baker (1840-1915) and Melvina Smith (1843-1925). While there are numerous records that support the relationship of Rose to her parents and siblings, the following is the evidence gathered that identifies the children of Rose, and her relationship with Sam Early.
There is no 1900 Federal Census record with any combination or name variation of Rosebell and/or Lucinda.
A 1910 Federal Census has a Vina Baker (widowed), and a Rose, Axie, Cora, and McKinley living next door in West Flat Lick Precinct No. 6. Lucinda does not appear in this household, having married John the prior year.
And a Rose, McKinley, and Alvina appears in the 1920 Federal Census:
Using this information, research of the Kentucky School Census has the following information:
1900 School Census of White Children, Flat Lick – New Flat Lick – District #44
PARENT
CHILD (AGE)
BAKER JAMES M
CALHINE BAKER (17)
GROVER C. (16)
WM. (11)
LUCY (9)
Source: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kyknox/Census/School-Census/1900-school-census-36-65.html?cj=1&netid=cj&o_xid=0001231185&o_lid=0001231185&o_sch=Affiliate+External
1904 School Census of White Children, White District No. 40 Page 159
PARENT
CHILD (AGE)
ROSE BAKER
LUCY BAKER (12)
WILLIAM BAKER (15)
EFFIE BAKER (9)
AXIE BAKER (7)
Source: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kyknox/Census/School-Census/1904-District-41-60.html?cj=1&netid=cj&o_xid=0001231185&o_lid=0001231185&o_sch=Affiliate+External
Again, no smoking gun connecting Lucinda to Rose.
Shortly after I posted the information above to Ancestry.com, I was contacted through email on 11 October 2017 by Ms. Suzanne Dungan, the great, great granddaughter of Rosebell Baker who confirmed Lucinda’s parents and siblings as follows:
“The Rose Baker with Axie, Cora and McKinley is Lucinda’s mother, and my grandmother’s mom. The line is as follows:
William Baker and Elizabeth Walker
[son of William and Elizabeth] James Madison Baker and Melvina Smith (from Lee Co. Virginia, daughter of William Smith and Elizabeth Edwards)
[daughter of James & Melvina] Rosabel Baker of Flat Lick, Ky.
Children [of Rosabel Baker]:
Lucinda Baker (md. John B. Linville)
Axie Baker md. Mack Jones (lived in Whitley Co. Ky.)
Cora Baker
McKinley Baker (there are at least 2 in Knox Co. and their birthdays are close which is really confusing!) [The other McKinley has a sister Axie which makes it even more confusing!]
I checked with my Mom and asked her if she knew of a Lucinda Baker and/or a John B. Linville. And, of course, she answered, “Yes, Aunt Lucy and Uncle John!”
So, yes! Lucinda Baker Linville was my grandmother’s sister and Rosabell Baker’s daughter. My grandmother was the last child born and Lucinda, Axie, and Cora were all a great deal older than her. So naturally, I wouldn’t have known this information like I would have if my grandmother’s siblings had been closer to her age. Lucinda was at least 20 yrs. older than my grandmother! But, my Mom did know Lucinda and Uncle John and really loved them. Mom stated that Sam Early was Lucinda’s father, but that is all she knows.
I corresponded with Jean Taylor who was the daughter of Axie Baker and Mack Jones. She passed in 2011 and had done some genealogy on her family. She had sent me an email with each child listed and their father’s name. Apparently each one had a different dad.”
After sixty years, our family finally had an answer! Except the answer we received never fully answered why it had remained such a big secret. And that list of all of the fathers? It couldn’t be found. Meanwhile, other descendants of Lucinda’s siblings contacted me as they were also searching for the same answer we had been looking for.
Thus began a search for the fathers of Rosebell’s other children.
To be continued in Part Two…
Philip Farmer is currently assisting three families break down their genealogical brick walls and find information on their ancestors. He is also the author and publisher of “Edward Farmar and the Sons of Whitemarsh,” a 500-page, 155-year biographical history of the Farmer’s immigration from Ireland into Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Harlan County, Kentucky. The continuation of Stephen Farmer’s story from 1800 into the mid-1900’s is currently in work.
