According to numerous internet sources, the name Keturah is a Hebrew name meaning fragrance or incense. Keturah was the name of Abraham's second wife in the Old Testament. Through their sons, Abraham became the "father of many nations." The Puritans popularized the name after the Reformation and it was revived as a popular name for girls for awhile during the 1990s.
My fourth great grandmother was Keturah Owen. She was the daughter of Ebenezer Owen and Temperance Helme. She was the sixth of their nine children, born in 1748 in Orange County, New York.
Keturah married Thomas Cheney who served in the American Revolution. After the war, they migrated to Harrison County, Virginia. Imagine what life must have been for a young woman from a civilized Eastern state living in a fort on the frontier!
She and Thomas had nine children. Shortly after Ohio became a state, Keturah and Thomas moved to Champaign County along with some of their adult children. Keturah died in 1828 in Champaign County.
Keturah must have been a favorite name of her children or they wanted to honor their mother. She had four granddaughters named after her. So, Keturah was a favorite name with my Cheney ancestors!