----------------------
Note: Oma, Onra, Amy, or Emma was called 'Amy' by her family. Her name has appeared in other records and documentation with various spellings and similar sounding names. Since we don't know which one of these names was her given name, she is referred to as 'Amy' in this memorial.
Correction: Amity was removed as a name. That was a misreading of brother Floyd's handwriting.
----------------------
Amy Spencer Bradley Barker was born to Nicholas Boone (Bud) and Temperance Collier Spencer in December 1892 in Wolfe County, Kentucky. She was the fifth of the seven children who lived to adulthood. She probably attended school since her older siblings did and she knew how to read and write. Her father is listed as a farmer in the census records and Amy probably had the same chores and responsibilities as other females who grew up on Kentucky farms. Most of what we know about Amy comes from documents and news articles from the last year or two of her life.
On March 14, 1916, Amy married a 60 year old man named Henry F. Bradley. Henry was forty years older than Amy. News reports indicate that Henry had pursued Amy for three years. Amy had not wanted to marry Henry, but she had possibly been pressured into the marriage by both Henry and her father. The marriage did not go well. Amy left Henry after three to four months and moved back home. Later that same year on August 4, 1916, after three weeks of dating, Amy married Dudley Barger in Jackson, Breathitt County, Kentucky.
There was a problem with Amy's second marriage in that Amy was still married to Henry Bradley at the time of her marriage to Dudley Barger. Henry had Amy arrested for bigamy. He said he would drop the charges if she would not live with Dudley. Amy said she did not want to go back to Henry and would live with neither man until she had a divorce.
Divorce records for the Bradley marriage have not been located and neither have new records for the Barger marriage. Apparently, Amy was finally able to escape Henry Bradley. Unfortunately, her happiness with Dudley Barger was short lived. The story passed down in the family is that Amy became pregnant with twins. The first twin died some time during the pregnancy. The second baby was apparently full term but, didn't have enough room to come out. Kentucky Vital Records Indexes have records for both a Baby Dudley Barger I and a Baby Dudley Barger II both stillborn on July 15, 1917. Amy died a few days later on July 23, 1917. Her death certificate states that she died of 'puerperal peritonitis' [fever usually from infection in the uterus] with complications of 'puerperal eclampsia' [convulsions after childbirth].
A family story suggests that Amy was buried in Breathitt County, Kentucky. This is unconfirmed. According to her death certificate, Amy died in Perry County, Kentucky. The place of burial is not listed. Amy and her babies are probably buried near husband Dudley Barger in the Buckhorn Cemetery in Perry County.
---------------------
News Sources:
"Big Sandy News" in Louisa, Kentucky dated September 29, 1916,
'Woman is Arrested on Charge of Bigamy' from "The Courier Journal" in Louisville, Kentucky dated September 21, 1916
Interesting to note: On Amy's marriage record to Dudley Barger in August 1916, Amy's parents are listed as 'parent's dead'. Amy's parents were both living at that time.
Note: Oma, Onra, Amy, or Emma was called 'Amy' by her family. Her name has appeared in other records and documentation with various spellings and similar sounding names. Since we don't know which one of these names was her given name, she is referred to as 'Amy' in this memorial.
Correction: Amity was removed as a name. That was a misreading of brother Floyd's handwriting.
----------------------
Amy Spencer Bradley Barker was born to Nicholas Boone (Bud) and Temperance Collier Spencer in December 1892 in Wolfe County, Kentucky. She was the fifth of the seven children who lived to adulthood. She probably attended school since her older siblings did and she knew how to read and write. Her father is listed as a farmer in the census records and Amy probably had the same chores and responsibilities as other females who grew up on Kentucky farms. Most of what we know about Amy comes from documents and news articles from the last year or two of her life.
On March 14, 1916, Amy married a 60 year old man named Henry F. Bradley. Henry was forty years older than Amy. News reports indicate that Henry had pursued Amy for three years. Amy had not wanted to marry Henry, but she had possibly been pressured into the marriage by both Henry and her father. The marriage did not go well. Amy left Henry after three to four months and moved back home. Later that same year on August 4, 1916, after three weeks of dating, Amy married Dudley Barger in Jackson, Breathitt County, Kentucky.
There was a problem with Amy's second marriage in that Amy was still married to Henry Bradley at the time of her marriage to Dudley Barger. Henry had Amy arrested for bigamy. He said he would drop the charges if she would not live with Dudley. Amy said she did not want to go back to Henry and would live with neither man until she had a divorce.
Divorce records for the Bradley marriage have not been located and neither have new records for the Barger marriage. Apparently, Amy was finally able to escape Henry Bradley. Unfortunately, her happiness with Dudley Barger was short lived. The story passed down in the family is that Amy became pregnant with twins. The first twin died some time during the pregnancy. The second baby was apparently full term but, didn't have enough room to come out. Kentucky Vital Records Indexes have records for both a Baby Dudley Barger I and a Baby Dudley Barger II both stillborn on July 15, 1917. Amy died a few days later on July 23, 1917. Her death certificate states that she died of 'puerperal peritonitis' [fever usually from infection in the uterus] with complications of 'puerperal eclampsia' [convulsions after childbirth].
A family story suggests that Amy was buried in Breathitt County, Kentucky. This is unconfirmed. According to her death certificate, Amy died in Perry County, Kentucky. The place of burial is not listed. Amy and her babies are probably buried near husband Dudley Barger in the Buckhorn Cemetery in Perry County.
---------------------
News Sources:
"Big Sandy News" in Louisa, Kentucky dated September 29, 1916,
'Woman is Arrested on Charge of Bigamy' from "The Courier Journal" in Louisville, Kentucky dated September 21, 1916
Interesting to note: On Amy's marriage record to Dudley Barger in August 1916, Amy's parents are listed as 'parent's dead'. Amy's parents were both living at that time.
----------------------
Note: Oma, Onra, Amy, or Emma was called 'Amy' by her family. Her name has appeared in other records and documentation with various spellings and similar sounding names. Since we don't know which one of these names was her given name, she is referred to as 'Amy' in this memorial.
Correction: Amity was removed as a name. That was a misreading of brother Floyd's handwriting.
----------------------
Amy Spencer Bradley Barker was born to Nicholas Boone (Bud) and Temperance Collier Spencer in December 1892 in Wolfe County, Kentucky. She was the fifth of the seven children who lived to adulthood. She probably attended school since her older siblings did and she knew how to read and write. Her father is listed as a farmer in the census records and Amy probably had the same chores and responsibilities as other females who grew up on Kentucky farms. Most of what we know about Amy comes from documents and news articles from the last year or two of her life.
On March 14, 1916, Amy married a 60 year old man named Henry F. Bradley. Henry was forty years older than Amy. News reports indicate that Henry had pursued Amy for three years. Amy had not wanted to marry Henry, but she had possibly been pressured into the marriage by both Henry and her father. The marriage did not go well. Amy left Henry after three to four months and moved back home. Later that same year on August 4, 1916, after three weeks of dating, Amy married Dudley Barger in Jackson, Breathitt County, Kentucky.
There was a problem with Amy's second marriage in that Amy was still married to Henry Bradley at the time of her marriage to Dudley Barger. Henry had Amy arrested for bigamy. He said he would drop the charges if she would not live with Dudley. Amy said she did not want to go back to Henry and would live with neither man until she had a divorce.
Divorce records for the Bradley marriage have not been located and neither have new records for the Barger marriage. Apparently, Amy was finally able to escape Henry Bradley. Unfortunately, her happiness with Dudley Barger was short lived. The story passed down in the family is that Amy became pregnant with twins. The first twin died some time during the pregnancy. The second baby was apparently full term but, didn't have enough room to come out. Kentucky Vital Records Indexes have records for both a Baby Dudley Barger I and a Baby Dudley Barger II both stillborn on July 15, 1917. Amy died a few days later on July 23, 1917. Her death certificate states that she died of 'puerperal peritonitis' [fever usually from infection in the uterus] with complications of 'puerperal eclampsia' [convulsions after childbirth].
A family story suggests that Amy was buried in Breathitt County, Kentucky. This is unconfirmed. According to her death certificate, Amy died in Perry County, Kentucky. The place of burial is not listed. Amy and her babies are probably buried near husband Dudley Barger in the Buckhorn Cemetery in Perry County.
---------------------
News Sources:
"Big Sandy News" in Louisa, Kentucky dated September 29, 1916,
'Woman is Arrested on Charge of Bigamy' from "The Courier Journal" in Louisville, Kentucky dated September 21, 1916
Interesting to note: On Amy's marriage record to Dudley Barger in August 1916, Amy's parents are listed as 'parent's dead'. Amy's parents were both living at that time.
Note: Oma, Onra, Amy, or Emma was called 'Amy' by her family. Her name has appeared in other records and documentation with various spellings and similar sounding names. Since we don't know which one of these names was her given name, she is referred to as 'Amy' in this memorial.
Correction: Amity was removed as a name. That was a misreading of brother Floyd's handwriting.
----------------------
Amy Spencer Bradley Barker was born to Nicholas Boone (Bud) and Temperance Collier Spencer in December 1892 in Wolfe County, Kentucky. She was the fifth of the seven children who lived to adulthood. She probably attended school since her older siblings did and she knew how to read and write. Her father is listed as a farmer in the census records and Amy probably had the same chores and responsibilities as other females who grew up on Kentucky farms. Most of what we know about Amy comes from documents and news articles from the last year or two of her life.
On March 14, 1916, Amy married a 60 year old man named Henry F. Bradley. Henry was forty years older than Amy. News reports indicate that Henry had pursued Amy for three years. Amy had not wanted to marry Henry, but she had possibly been pressured into the marriage by both Henry and her father. The marriage did not go well. Amy left Henry after three to four months and moved back home. Later that same year on August 4, 1916, after three weeks of dating, Amy married Dudley Barger in Jackson, Breathitt County, Kentucky.
There was a problem with Amy's second marriage in that Amy was still married to Henry Bradley at the time of her marriage to Dudley Barger. Henry had Amy arrested for bigamy. He said he would drop the charges if she would not live with Dudley. Amy said she did not want to go back to Henry and would live with neither man until she had a divorce.
Divorce records for the Bradley marriage have not been located and neither have new records for the Barger marriage. Apparently, Amy was finally able to escape Henry Bradley. Unfortunately, her happiness with Dudley Barger was short lived. The story passed down in the family is that Amy became pregnant with twins. The first twin died some time during the pregnancy. The second baby was apparently full term but, didn't have enough room to come out. Kentucky Vital Records Indexes have records for both a Baby Dudley Barger I and a Baby Dudley Barger II both stillborn on July 15, 1917. Amy died a few days later on July 23, 1917. Her death certificate states that she died of 'puerperal peritonitis' [fever usually from infection in the uterus] with complications of 'puerperal eclampsia' [convulsions after childbirth].
A family story suggests that Amy was buried in Breathitt County, Kentucky. This is unconfirmed. According to her death certificate, Amy died in Perry County, Kentucky. The place of burial is not listed. Amy and her babies are probably buried near husband Dudley Barger in the Buckhorn Cemetery in Perry County.
---------------------
News Sources:
"Big Sandy News" in Louisa, Kentucky dated September 29, 1916,
'Woman is Arrested on Charge of Bigamy' from "The Courier Journal" in Louisville, Kentucky dated September 21, 1916
Interesting to note: On Amy's marriage record to Dudley Barger in August 1916, Amy's parents are listed as 'parent's dead'. Amy's parents were both living at that time.
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