Individual Details

1850 Census. Howard Co IN. Howard Twp. Hh 4
Barnhart Lerner, age 42, b. Germany. Catherine, age 43, b.Germany
Mary age 15, b. Pennsylvania. Julia A. 9, Benjamin 8, John W. 2, and Catherine, 6 months old - all born in Indiana.

If the data from this census is correct, Barnhart & Catherine were first in Pennsylvania, then moved to Indiana about 1840. In 1900, he stated he was naturalized in 1833.

1860, Howard Co IN. Howard Twp, Hh 466 [Indexed as Leamer]
B. Learner, age 52, b. Germany. Phoebe age 52, b. unknown.
Wesley age 23, Catharine age 10.
Marion Long, Farm Laborer, & Catharine Tyler 15, Domestic.
Phebe must be a second wife.
Next door was James Miller, age 26, b. Ohio, Julia age 19, Catharine 9 months, and Frank Learner age 18.

1870, Howard Co IN, Howard Twp, Hh 66 [This page is missing on Ancestry - I found it on Heritage Quest]
Barnhild Learner, age 62, b. Baden, Germany, Farmer
Phoeba age 61, b. Ohio. John W. age 21, b. IN, Working on Farm
There was a Housekeeper whose name I cannot read - she was age 41, b. KY
M. McNutt [female], age 11, b. IN and Matilda McNutt, age 9, b. IN [probably granddaughters of Phoeba]
John Distell, age 21, b. PA, Farmer
and next door in Hh 67
B. F. Learner, age 27, b. IN. Mary E. age 22, b. IN
Ulysses age 3 and Levi, 8 months.
E. Adamson [male] age 34, Farmhand, b. IN
Rachel Adamson, age 54, b. Iowa
Fredrick age 14 & Hellin age 12, both born in IN
Hh 68
James Miller, age 36, b. Ohio. Julia 29, b. IN. Carolyn 10 and Phoeba age 6.


1880. Barnhart Learner was age 72. Born in Baden, his father born Wittinburg, his mother born in Baden. Phebe, wife, was age 71, b. Ohio - her father born in NJ, her mother born Ohio. Bessie Mcnutt, granddaughter, age 18, was living with them - she was born in Indiana.

The Indianapolis Journal Thursday, 22 Dec 1887, p.5
Kokomo, Ind., Dec 21 The fine brick farm residence of Barnhart Leaner, four miles east of this city, together with contents and several out buildings, was destroyed by fire last night. Loss $3,500. Insured in the North British Company of chicago for $2,700.

In 1900, Barnhart was living with his son Benjamin in Howard Co. He was then age 92 and widowed. Or perhaps Benjamin was actually living with Barnhart as his occupation was given as "Landlord". Naturalized in 1833; has been a citizen 67 years.

Indiana Death Index: died 6 Sep 1900. He is buried Salem Cemetery, Howard Co.

Biographical and Genealogical History of Cass, Miami, Howard and Tipton Counties, IN; Lewis Publishing Co, 1898; Google Books, p.338-340
BARNHART LEARNER
Probably the oldest living resident of Howard county is Barnhart Learner, who resides on section twenty-six, Howard township, and was born in Baden, Germany, near the Rhine, May 5, 1808. His parents Martine and Mary (Freilin) Learner, were both natives of Wurtemberg, Germany, and the father was a cooper by trade. He died in Baden at the age of eighty years and his wife passed away at the age of seventy. They were members of the Catholic church. They had nine children, five sons and four daughters, namely: George, John, Joseph Barnhart, Reimmond, Mattalien, Anna Maria, Marian, and Catherine.
....When a boy his father bound him out to learn boot and shoe making, paying the man to whom he was apprenticed to instruct his son in that pursuit. He served two and a half years and in 1832 crossed the Atlantic to America, working for a time at his trade in Philadelphia, after which he went to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he remained for five years as a journeyman.
On the 31st of December 1835, Barnhart Learner married Catharine Huitter, daughter of George and Elizabeth Huitter, and they became parents of eight children: Elizabeth, Mary, Julia, Catharine, George, Emanuel, B. Franklin, and John Wesley.
....went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he left his family while he started out on a prospecting tour in search of a home. He went to Dayton, Ohio, then Germantown, IN where he worked at his trade three years ...purchased a distillery which he operated for eighteen months but lat all that he had. ..went to Marion, IN, later to Broad Ripple, again worked at shoe-making. In 1841 he came to Howard County where he pre-empted 168 acres upon which he has since made his home. ...In 1850 he made a trip to California with neighbor, Ephraim Bates, who raised a company for that purpose. They made the journey with ox teams, and six months were consumed before the completion of the trip.
...remained in Californai two years. In 1852, returned to his Indiana farm ...learned that his wife was dead. Their log cabin had caught fire and Mrs. Learner, who went outside to extinquish the flames in the lath and mud chimney, met her death by the chimney falling upon her. Mr. Gates had died in Sacramento of cholera, leaving a widow with five children. In 1853, Mr. Learner married Mrs. Bates. Mrs. Learner died in 1897, at the age of 87 years.
...His life span covers ninety years.

Bluffton Weekly Chronicle, Bluffton, Wells Co, IN
10 Oct 1900
State News in Brief
Barnhart Learner, 92, oldest pioneer of Howard County, is dead.

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
The Indianapolis Journal, 9 Sep 1900
FAMILY ROMANCE ENDED
Barnhart Learner's Death the Last Chapter of Events
Two Bereft Families United After a Series of Accidents
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
Kokomo, Ind., Sept 8 - Barnhart Learner, a pioneer of this county, died Friday, aged ninety-two. His wife died but a short time ago, aged eighty-seven. The life story of this venerable couple is an interesting and singular one, attended with tragedy and romance. In the early forties, Barnhart Learner and his companion of youth, Ephraim Bates, married and took claims adjoining each other, on which they erected log cabins. Their wives were also near friends before, as well as after, marriage. The gold discoveries in California attracted the attention of the men, and in 1849 Learner and Bates went to California, leaving their wives and children here.
The men did fairly well in the mining districts and sent their accumulations home to their families. Two years later, as the husbands were preparing to return east, Bates met with a fatal accident. Learner nursed him and cared for him until his death, and made provision for sending his body home. In that day there was practically no communication between the East the extreme West, and the news of the misfortune was long in reaching hom. In the meantime another tragedy was enacted at this end of the line, of which Learner knew nothing until his arrival home with the corpse of his companion. About the time Bates lost his life in the mining regions of California, Learner's wife died tragically here. Her cabin home took fire, and while she was fighting the flames and attempting to save the children and household goods, the stick chimney fell on her and she perished in the flames. Mrs. Bates worked heroically to save the dying woman, and cared for the motherless children as best she could. Two years later, in 1853, Learner married Mrs. Bates, and the two bereft families became one. The two adjoining farms were merged into one. For forty-six years Learner and the latter Mrs. Learner lived a life of happiness. The Learner and Bates children all grew up under the same protecting roof, and a happier family was never reared. Among the children are J. W. Learner, a prominent manufacturer, and Dr. A. J. Bates, both of this city. The funeral of Barnhart Learner was held at Salem Church today, conducted by Rev. W. D. Parr, of Fort Wayne.

Birth	May 1808	Baden, Germany
Marriage	31 Dec 1833	Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - Catherine Huitter
Marriage	14 Nov 1852	Howard County, Indiana - Phoebe Bates
Death	6 Sep 1900	Howard Township, Howard County, Indiana

Spouse	Catherine Huitter (1807 - 1850)
Child	Mary Learner (1835 - )
Child	Julia A. Learner (1841 - )
Child	Benjamin Franklin Learner (1842 - 1925)
Child	John Wesley Learner (1848 - 1940)
Child	Catherine Learner (1849 - )

Spouse

Phoebe Bates (1809 - 1896)