Individual Details

An Index on the Howard Co IN GenWeb site indicates her name may have been Phoebe Bates.

She was born a Bates, daughter of Isaac and Catherine Sarah Moore, and married Ephriam Bates about 1832 in Belmont Co, Ohio. He died about 1852 in California where he had gone during the gold rush.

In the 1850 Census in Howard Co, I did find a Pheba Bates, age 41, born in Ohio:
Hh 106:
Ephraim Bates, age 40, b. Ohio. Pheba, age 41, b. Ohio
Children: Elizabeth J., 17, b. Ohio. The rest born in Indiana: Matilda 14, William 12, Anna M. 10, Aaron 7.
In 1860 there was a Matilda married to a McNutt. In 1870 there were two young girls with the surname McNutt living with Phoebe & Barnhart Learner - one of them was named Matilda. I would think this is indeed the widow Phoebe Bates who married Barnhart Learner sometime between 1850 and 1860.

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
The Indianapolis Journal, Indianapolis, Marion Co, IN, 15 Feb 1896
Indiana Deaths
Kokomo, Ind., Feb 14 - Mrs. Phoebe Learner died at her home in Howard township, this county, today, aged eighty-seven. She was the oldest pioneer resident of the county. Her stepson, J. W. Learner, was the first white child born in the county. Her husband, Barnhart Learner, is still living, aged over ninety. His first wife was killed in 1850 by a chimney falling on her. The second Mrs. Learner was the mother of Dr. A. J. Bates, of this city.

Birth	1809	Belmont County, Ohio
Marriage	14 Nov 1852	Howard County, Indiana - Barnhart Learner
Death	13 Feb 1896	Howard County, Indiana

Spouse

Barnhart Learner (1808 - 1900)