MALINDA WOODRUFF MARRIED  BITNER ABOUT 1838

According to 1850 IA census, Malinda Woodruff  was born in about 1808.  Her birthplace may have been either KY or OH.

 She was first married to a man named Bitner whose birthplace was believed to have been Germany.   They had at least four children, two of which were born in TN:  Elizabeth, b. 1839 and Felix, b. 1842. 

A daughter, Lurinda Jane was born in MO in 1844 and a son, Oddney was born in IA in 1842. 

Malinda was listed as head of household living in District 22, Page county IA in Sep 1850 with her four children. The absence of her spouse raises the possibility that he may have died somewhere in IA. 

Subsequently Malinda married Joshua West on 8 May 1862 in nearby Nordaway county MO and lived with him until his death in 1865 at age of 70 and is buried with his first wife, Margaret in Hazel Dell Cemetery in Nodaway county. .

Her daughter, Luninda Jane Bitner married John Land as his second wife on 3 May 1863 in Nordaway county,  however no further record of Malinda has been found which leads to the possibility that she may have died and was buried with her first husband somewhere in Iowa or Missouri.    

If it is of any help the census records after 1870 for her daughter, Lurinda Jane Bitner Land, report her mother's birthplace as KY and her father's as Germany. Her death certificate reports that Malinda's maiden name was Woodruff.

Malinda doesn't appear in the 1860 census.

If requested info about the life of Lurinda Jane Bitner Land and her family of nine children is available from her great grandson, richarddland@hotmail.com.