Bear with me, as I lay out the vital records groundwork, before addressing the actual questions.

From St Luke's Church (Catholic), Danville, OH records:

Marr. 25-Nov-1880, Samuel F. DAVIS (non cath) md Elizabeth BLUBAUGH; Wit: Jacob Blubaugh & Jane Davis. (Samuel promised not to interfere with wife's religious duties or religious training of the children.)

Bapt. 21-Aug-1881, Charles Raymond (Davis), b. 27-Jul-1881, s/o Samuel F. Davis and Elizabeth Blubaugh. Sps: Maria Engle.

Bapt. 30-May-1886 (both boys baptized same day) Francis Walter (Davis) b. 07-Dec-1883, s/o Samuel F. Davis (non cath) & Elizabeth Blubaugh. Sps: Francis Gardner & wife. Francis Henry (Davis), b. 27-Oct-1885, s/o Samuel F. Davis (non cath) & Elizabeth Blubaugh. Sps: John Breckler & wife.

The travels of the Samuel F. Davis family are well-documented. He took his family from Ohio to Kansas in 1886. He MAY have taken them there briefly, a few years earlier, based on some indiations that one or two of his earlier children were actually born in KS, though those records may be in error. The DOCUMENTED children, taken mostly from census records, include the following:

Dates from 1900 census below, but may or may not be accurate for some of the children, based on family records and others (such as WWI Draft Registrations) found via online searches.

The family was first to Kansas in 1886, then later to Oklahoma, then New Mexico, perhaps with a stop in Texas somewhere in there. Samuel appears to have died in New Mexico, but some records indicate he was buried there, in Roy, NM, while other indicate he was buried at St Luke's in Danville, OH.

Here is how the family appears in 1900:
Samuel F. Davis, b. 1854, OH (though some historians have indicated he was born in Indiana)
Elizabeth E. b. 1859, OH, listed as 10/7 for "child count".
Charles Raymond, b. 1881, OH
Mary E., b. 1882, KS (perhaps during a previous family "excursion" into KS?)
Carrie E., b. 1887, KS
Leo S., b. 1888, KS
Herbert W., 1888, KS
John B, 1895, OK
Clement E, 1897, OK

There was a set of twins, Roy and LUcy, b. before 1900, who apparently died young. Some show a YOB for the twins as 1884, while others show 1893, with no state indicated in either case. There was also Fred/Freddie, who was born in 1901, in OK (after the census).

So, if Roy and Lucy died young, that would account for nine of the 10 children, the "living 7" residing with their parents in 1900. Why were the two boys baptized in 1886, not included in that account of living children?

The questions surrounding this family involve a family story, from descendants of Francis Walter (or Walter Francis) who was left with Alexander Andrew (or Andrew Alexander) Durbin, and his wife, Ellen Losh, shortly after he and his brother Frank (Francis Henry) were baptized. He is actually listed in 1900 as Walter Durbin, but in later records, when on his own, is again listed as Davis. To date, I've been unable to determine what family Frank was left with, as Samuel and Elizabeth migrated to Kansas in 1886, but I'm still working on that one.

There is a WWI Draft record on Walter and a WWII record on Frank, showing the following:

WWI Draft Reg:
Name: Walter Francis Davis
City: Akron
County: Summit
State: Ohio
Birth Date: 7 Dec 1883
Race: White
Roll: 1819623
DraftBoard: 5

WWII Draft Reg:
Name: Frank Davis
Birth Date: 27 Oct 1885
RESIDENCE: Knox, Ohio
Birth: Richland CO, Ohio
Race: White
Roll: WWII_2372625
Wife: Ethel (Ethel M.)

There was initially some concern on Frank, as he sometimes appears with middle initial "B" not "H", but there is a distinct possibility that when Frank used the "B" it was representing his Blubaugh roots (unconfirmed).

Descendants of Walter visited Frank in Danville area in the 1950s, after Ethel had died (1944).

So, there is surely proof that the two Davis boys who were baptized at St Luke's in 1886 did not die young, and were quite alive AND young, when their parents took the rest of the family to Kansas.

There has been speculation about the reasoning for them being left behind, which still would not fully explain the miscount on children listed for Elizabeth in 1900 Census. Some recollections are negative, indicating Elizabeth basically abandoned the boys and dropped them off at two separate farms, on their way out of town (the story goes that Frank was dropped off first - though nothing more specific, and that Walter was left with Ellen Durbin). Given what I've read about Elizabeth, this sounds a bit harsh. One recollection even indicates she commented after dropping Walter off that "Well, that was easy!".

I have my own theory, given the double baptism, and the families departure surely RIGHT after that baptism took place. Given stories about Elizabeth's gentleness, kindness and general good nature, I WONDER if the boys might have been of frail health at the time the family left for Kansas? Perhaps, the twins had died from some childhood disease and Walter and Frank were suspected of also being ill, so not expected to survive the rigorous journey to Kansas? It's surely a much kinder version of the story.

Since I've NOT seen ANY family history on this family that lists either Walter or Frank, but DOES cover the twins, am wondering why, given the fact that the baptismal records of St Lukes obviously show that they are children of Elizabeth and Samuel, the boys are never mentioned in these histories?


www.genealogy.savedbyagun.com has tons of Blubaugh listings, and all the Davis children (aside from Walter and Frank) are listed.

A posting by James Schaub in 2004 at: http://genforum.genealogy.com/blubaugh/messages/97.html
Also listed the same family group, w/o Walter and Frank, as folows:

Chales Raymond Davis b. 22 Jul 1881 Harrison Township, Knox Co. Ohio
Mary Davis b. 26 Nov 1882
-------------
NOTE THIS GAP
-------------
Carrie Davis b. 21 Apr 1887
Lee Davis b. 6 June 1889 (actually listed as Leo in WWI Draft Reg)
Herbert Davis b. 20 June 1891
Roy Davis b. 1893 twin
Lucy Davis b 1893 twin (at least one account shows her b. 1884, d. 1925)
John Davis b. 11 Feb 1895
Clement Davis b 27 July 1897
Fred Davis b. May 1901

And, again, indication that Samuel F. Davis was a hunter/trapper from Indiana (though consistently listed as b. OH in US Census records).