Three Forks of the Kentucky River Historical Association

Genealogies

John Renta Baker

My Direct Line —
By Ruth Klein

John Renta Baker b 1735 (some have him born in 1744) m Unknown for now, but he's believed to have been married more than once. Researchers are in the process of finding the true wives of John Renta Baker.

My direct line from John Renta Baker:

His son, Robert 'Julius Bob' Baker b 1774 in Buncombe Co., NC; d 1859 in Owsley Co. m Elizabeth Hammonds

Robert was a private in the war known as 'St. Clair's Defeat', serving under Colonel Arthur St. Clair. He was taken prisoner and survived against the odds in this high casualty war. He went on to become a Major of the 2nd Battalion of the 68th Regiment in Clay Co.

Their child:
John Hammond Baker b 1793 NC d Owsley Co. m Lucinda Amis b 1805 Owsley Co. d 1876 Owsley Co.

Lucinda was the daughter of John Amis b 1773 d 1807 m Catherine Bowling b 1777 d 1850, daughter of James Bowling b 1756 and Sarah Sally Blevins b 1757.

John Amis was the son of Capt. Thomas Amis b 1743, who served in the Rev. War as a soldier and a merchant. He owned a business and over 640 acres of land in Hawkins Co., TN. In his will he left the land and most ot his possessions to his son, John Amis. John Amis was shot and killed while giving testimony in Clay Co., on behalf of The Cattle War, in 1807.

Their child:
James "Big Jim" Baker b 1838 Clay Co. d Owsley Co. m Charlotte Bowling b 1865 Owsley Co., g/d of Jesse Bowling and Mary Pennington. Charlotte was the daughter of William Bowling and Deborah Duff.

James was in the Civil War and fought for the Union in the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Look Out Mountain. He was a teacher and a farmer.

Their child:
Willis Baker b 1879 Owsley Co. d 1936 Dayton, OH, in an automobile accident, m Mary Lavina Caudill b 1884 d 1938 Dayton, OH, daughter of George Caudill and Mimi Blair, from VA.

They owned land in Whitsburg, KY, where some of their children were born. Willis and Mary moved to TN and lived in the town of Sango, before they moved to a farm outside of Knoxville, TN. Willis was a college graduate and became a Methodist Minister and Mary was a teacher in the public schools. They move to Dayton, OH in the early 1930's.

Their child:
Gladys Baker, was b 1910 Whitsburg, KY m Edgar Estridge b 1904 Clay Co. d 1974 Dayton, OH  He was the son of Elihue Estridge and Elenaor Clark of Clay Co. Edgar was a businessman and owned a few grocery stores in Dayton, OH.

Their child:
Ruth Estridge b 1949 Dayton, OH m Harris Klein b 1948 Lascruces, NM
They met when they were volunteers on a kibbtuz in Israel in 1972 and have been married since 1974.

Their children:
Adam Klein b 1978 Tucson
Rachel Klein b 1984 Albuquerque, NM