Oregon Pioneer of 1846 and mother of 13 children.
Caroline Lavinia Goff, b. Apr 13, 1835 in Missouri, came with her family, along with the Ford, Boyle and Burch families in 1844 to Polk County of the Oregon Territory, walking over 2,000 miles when she was just nine years of age. It is probable that she was a member of the wagon train that was led by Nathaniel "Nat" Ford. One of his children was a daughter named Lavinia Caroline Ford, b.1832 in Missouri. It is quite probable that Caroline was named after his daughter as Keziah (Ford) Goff, (1798-1866) married David Goff* (1795-1875), both came to Polk Co., Oregon and both are buried at the Burch Pioneer Cemetery, Rickreall, Polk County, Oregon. Many Davidsons, long time associates with the Burkhart family, also settled mainly in Polk County, Marion and Linn Counties, in the northern Willamette Valley, and are buried in different cemeteries mainly in Polk, Marion and Linn Counties.
Caroline, also fondly known as "Carolean", married C.D., Coriolanus Domarus "Crill" Burkhart on July 4th, 1850, just months after her 16th birthday. They settled down on a donation land claim in the Harrisburg area south of Albany and commenced to farming and raising their family which eventually totaled thirteen children. Their children were:

Olive C., b. Feb 21, 1852, d.Dec 8, 1880
Charles Marion, b.Aug 18, 1853, d.Dec 9, 1915
John David, b.Nov 1, 1855, d.Oct 11, 1917
Fred George, b.Nov 1, 1857, d.Dec 223, 1931
Rebecca V., b.Oct 9, 1859, d.Dec 24, 1878
Louesa Pauline, b.Jun 21, 1862, d.Jun 8, 1882
Crill Davidson, b.Nov 28, 1864, d.Nov 19, 1936
Thomas, b.Mar 31, 1867, d.Jun 6, 1867
James Leander, b.Apr 5, 1868, d.Jul 26, 1885
Linnie Caroline, b.Jun 9, 1870, d.Nov 5, 1871
Minnie M., b.Dec 20, 1872, d.Apr 21, 1886
Eugene, b.Mar 19, 1876, d.Oct 3, 1876
Samuel Oliver, b.May 22, 1878, d.Dec 17, 1934.

Sadly, three of their children died within the 1st two years of their lives. Four of their children only lived into their teens, one lived to age 20, and one child died at the age of 28. However, five of their children lived past the age of 40 yrs., into the ages of 56, 2 living to see the age of 62, one living to the age of 72 and one living to the age of 74. Five of their children married.

Charles Marion Burkhart married Mary Ellen Morgan. They had three daughters.
John David Burkhart married Sylonia Hale.
Fred George Burkhart married Sylonia's sister, Laura Ann Hale.
Crill Davidson Burkhart married Lola Amelia Froman. They had one son and two daughters.
Samuel Oliver Burkhart married Florence V. Burkhart. They had one son and one daughter. Their marriage ended in divorce.

Caroline became a widow at the age of 46 yrs. and did not remarry. She passed from this earth on Aug 1, 1892, at the age of 57 yrs. She is interred with her husband and nine of their children at a monument at plot 11n at Riverside Cemetery in Albany, Oregon, a woman with true Pioneer strength and Spirit. Their other four children are buried with their spouses at nearby locations in Riverside Cemetery, Albany, Linn County, Oregon.

"Carolean", as she was lovingly called, was a strong woman who endured many trials and tragedies. I know she is with her Loved Ones in Heaven, forever. Her husband is the older brother of my great, great maternal grandfather, Leander Columbus Burkhart.

*Caroline's father, David Goff, led emigrants over the newly created Applegate Trail (the Southern Route) in 1846, along with the Applegate brothers, Benjamin Franklin Burch (who married my cousin, Eliza Ann Davidson, an emigrant of 1847), and seven others.