George Washington Blankenbaker

It was the wrong Blankenbaker. Time for the next web page. In that split second when the old web page disappeared and a new one took its place, I wondered if I glimpsed the word "White". I quickly clicked the "back" button. 

I did see "White", not in regard to Christopher Columbus Blankenbaker, but to his brother, George Washington Blankenbaker. Another Blankenbaker had married a White. Were these White's related to each other?

Since I couldn't find a marriage record for George Blankenbaker and his wife, Mary Jane, how could I prove she really was a White? Mary Jane died about 1877, before Missouri required Death Certificates. It turned out that her children had death certificates. 

According to MO Death Cert #33676 for Artie Liss Merritt, her mother was Mary Jane White, born in Henry County, Missouri. Finding the right Mary White could prove difficult. It seemed like almost all of Mary and Henry White's sons had named a daughter Mary. Were there other Mary White's in Henry County, too? 

Year: 1870; Census Place: Lone Oak, Bates, Missouri;
Roll: M593_758; Page: 70A; Image: 144;
Family History Library Film: 552257.

Mary J. Blankenbaker in the 1870 census (above) matches the Mary J. White in the 1860 Henry County, Missouri Census (below). Luckily, there weren't any other Mary J. White's in Henry County, Missouri in 1860, and no other Mary White's came close. Also, in 1860, Mary J. lived next to the Sarah A. White who would marry Christopher Columbus Blankenbaker. They were first cousins. Mary Jane's parents were John White and Nancy Smith. Mary Jane was the first member I've found from this family group outside of Henry County, Missouri.

Year: 1860; Census Place: Osage, Henry, Missouri;
Roll: M653_622; Page: 826; Image: 340;
Family History Library Film: 803622.

Mary Jane White Blankenbaker died young, before the 1880 census. George Blankenbaker next married Elizabeth Elledge Huckaby. You'll recognize the Elledge name from C. C. Blankenbaker's chapter in the Bates County book. That Elledge was Elizabeth's brother.

If it weren't for Mary Cavitt, I'm not sure I would have found these Blankenbaker branches. Whatever became of Mary? I don't know. I hope one day I'll accidentally stumble across her again somewhere.