An American Family History

Mary Elizabeth Kessler Baker was born about 1781 in Pennsylvania. Her parents were Henry and Barbara Kessler. She was christened on March 24, 1782 at St. Paul’s (Ziegler's) Evangelical Lutheran Church in York County, Pennsylvania. Her sponsors were Daniel and Elizabeth Ronolly (also Renolly).

She married Philip Baker on May 7, 1803 when she was twenty two years old. Their children and life together are described in detail in the section on Philip and Mary Elizabeth Baker. She moved to Ohio with her family about 1814. They were early pioneers.

She became a widow in 1828 when she was 47. She appeared in the 1830 census of German Township, Clark County, Ohio.

After Philip’s death, daughters Mary Rockel and Elizabeth Branstiter and their husbands filed a lawsuit and forced Mary Elizabeth to sell the family farm so that they could have their share. (Clark County, Ohio, October 3, 1830, Petition to Partition Daniel Branstetter et. al. vs. Elizabeth Baker et. al.)

After Philip’s death, Mary Elizabeth continued to live in German Township and appeared in the censuses of 1830, 1840, and 1850.

She died at age 88 on May 4, 1869 in Shelby County, Ohio. Elizabeth is buried with other family members in Glen Cemetery on State Route 47, southwest of Port Jefferson in Lot 2, Section B having been moved there from an older cemetery.

Elizabeth
wife of Philip Baker
died May 4, 1869
at the 88 yr.
of age

Children of Henry Kessler and Barbara Kenoyer Catherine Kessler Smith Henry Kesler Simon Kessler Barbara Kessler Peary Mary Elizabeth Kessler Baker John Kessler Mary Magdalene Kessler Myers Anna Maria Kessler Kemp

Clark County, Ohio was formed March 1, 1817, from Champaign, Madison and Greene Counties. The first settlement was in 1796. The inhabitants of German Township were German Lutherans who came from Virginia.