She was Henry Beaver's twin sister. Her first husband died probably in Ohio and records about him or their issue is not known. Nancy is listed as having sons named Bruce and John by a Jack Blackburn according to the Bardin Family List and was also said to have had three sets of twins, though only single children survived. Ross Williams believes that the 1830 marriage date between Nancy and John listed by Jeanne Miller is incorrect and that at least some of the children attributed to Blackburn are actually Henry Lear's. Nancy's listing in the 1850 Census for Bates County, Missouri (see ennumeration under her husband, John) indicates that her children were all born in Ohio rather than in Allen County, Kentucky as Jeanne Miller had indicated in her notes. It does not appear that Nancy was ever in Kentucky, however that her husband may have come from Allen County, and had some previous contact with the Cockrill family, would be a neat little connection to document.

Both John and Nancy, along with their children: John, David, Derastus, and Lavinia are believed to have been members of the 1853 Hagans-Cockrill wagon train, though it is unknown where they settled at first when they arrived in California. According to short biography from Jeanne Miller, Nancy and her husband were devout Adventists.

A 56 year old, Nancy Blackburn, is listed in the 1870 Census for Santa Clara County living in the Santa Cruz township (Santa Cruz postoffice) enumerated under the Erostus (?) Lear Family in dwelling #7. He is a 54 year old teamster born in Ohio with $1500 of real estate and $500 of personal wealth. Also listed in his household under the Lear surname are Sophronia (a. 17 bp. Texas), a female keeping house; Rosa L. (a. 2, bp. CA); and Hebert (age 9 months, bp. CA). In addition to the Nancy Blackburn enumerated with this family, there are two other Blackburns: John J. (a. 19, bp. Missouri), a teamster and Robert B. (a. 17, bp. Missouri), a laborer. One could assume that these are her grandchilden because of their age. Also, listed in dwelling #6 in the entry directly above this Lear family is the family of Samuel Lear, a 37 year old lumberman born in Ohio with $1000 of real estate. Included in his household are Sarah M. (a. 23, bp. Missouri), keeping house; Melissa J. (a. 8, bp. CA); William H. (a. 4, bp. CA); John L. (a. 2, bp. CA); and Samuel B. (a. 1 month, bp. CA).

I believe that this Erostus Lear in dwelling #7 is actually Derastus and his age is 34 rather than 54 (with 5 and 3 often looking alike), and that both Derastus and Samuel are Nancy's children with Henry Lear rather than John Blackburn which the 1850 Bates County Census indicated. Since David was supposedly born between Derastus and Samuel, it only leaves Lavinia as a possible child of John Blackburn. Also, that would also indicate a later marriage date between Nancy and John. The 1880 Census for Lemore Township, Tulare Co. a 27 year old, farmer, born in Missouri, Robert B. Blackburn, is listed in dwelling #324, along with Amanda (a. 25, bp. TX, both parents b. IL) and John H. (a. 1, bp. CA). Henry and Lurania Beaver are listed living in dwelling #325. A record for Derastus Lear also exists in this census.

An additional note about this from Ross Williams (8 Apr 2002):

I have located Nancy and Henry Lear's son, Derastus Dionysius Lear and a second son of Nancy's by Samuel Blackburn named Robert Blackburn in Lemoore CA in the 1880 census. These two sons of Nancy are listed just before and just after Henry Beaver and his family. As you my recall, Henry was Nancy's twin. I have not been able to locate Nancy's whereabouts and burial in CA or NV.