Recently I have learned that my ancestor, Joseph Woodard Ritter, may have been adopted by James and Mary Shepherd Ritter, but I have always wondered where the Woodard name came from. His parents were in Greene County, Indiana, in 1850 but were in Polk County, Missouri, in 1860. James Ritter was back in Greene County, Indiana, in 1870, but Mary was not in the household. Probably she died because James later remarried. In the 1880 census Joseph Woodard Ritter's parents were listed as born in Kentucky, but James and Mary Shepherd Ritter were born in Indiana. I wonder if the name Woodard could be a clue to Joseph's biological origins and welcome any suggestions. Roberta Sharp