Catharine was the 9th child of the 13 born to Joseph Keeler and wife Catherine Fox. Her parents were of German descent. Her maternal grandfather Adam Fox fought in the Revolutionary War.

Catharine was born and lives her entire life in Sevier County, TN. She marries James H. Baker. They can be found on the Sevier County census in 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, and again in 1900, where they are listed as both age 79, married 60 years. Catharine cannot read or write. In the 1900 census Catharine is listed as the mother of 12 children, six living.

Catharine's father Joseph Keeler sued her husband James H Baker in a bitter lawsuit over land conveyed by Joseph to his son-in-law. The case "Joseph Keeler vs James Baker" went all the way to the Tennessee state Supreme Court, decided 10 Jan 1871 after over 10 years of litigation.

The case stemmed from Joseph Keeler, age about 70 and widowed and all his children married and gone, selling his land to his son-in-law, Catharine's husband James. The land is worth $4000. James pays only $1800, but agrees in writing that his father-in-law can live with them for the rest of his life, free of charge. The contract was signed in 1853. But after six years Joseph Keeler leaves the Baker house and sues to have the contract cancelled, claiming he was defrauded by his son-in-law, signing the agreement while weak of body and mind and under the influence of liquor.

The voluminous court record includes more than 100 depositions, with conflicting testimony, as to Joseph Keeler's mental capacity and competence at the time he signed. He ultimately loses the lawsuit. The Supreme Court opinion can be found by googling the name of the case and looking at the free online google books version of Tennessee Supreme Court opinions for that term. After losing the lawsuit Catharine's father applies for and receives a pension as a War of 1812 veteran, $8 a month.