28 September 2010

Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Dunkle


Antoinette McKelvey Dunkle v Charles P. Dunkle (Journal 6 p597 - 31 Oct 1866)

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 2010)

The couple was married in Edgerton, St. Joseph Twp, Wms Co on 6 Mar 1860 (Marriage V3 p99).  Antoinette, b1839, Portage Co, OH, was the daughter of Stephen Beckett and Janet/Jennett Byers McKelvey, originally of Portage Co and Trumbull Co, OH, respectively, who came to Wms Co c1851 and settled on Sec 9 Center Twp property of 180 acres.  Father Stephen was a Justice of the Peace, a county commissioner, a township treasurer, a teacher, and a member of the Grange.  Both he and his wife were teachers. 

Charles P. Dunkle was born on 24 Oct 1825 according to information on an Internet posting; however in the 1850 Granger, Medina Co, OH p341 Charles Dunkle was listed with his family as Charles 32 NY, Minerva 32 NY, Lavina 11 NY, and Edwin 6 OH and in the 1860 Center Twp federal census p77, the Dunkles appeared as Charles 42 PA, Antoinette 21 OH, and Edwin B 15 OH.  Charles’ first wife was Minerva Collas.

From The Bryan Democrat, 25 June 1863, Antoinette Dunkle sued Charles Dunkle, Elbridge O Ensign, Hugh Mills, and Edwin B. Dunkle, all defendants formerly of this county but whose current residences were unknown to Antoinette.  She filed a petition for alimony.  It stated the marriage date, the fact that she was his lawful wife and a legal resident of this county for more than 10 years.  Charles was the owner in fee simple of 3 acres in Sec 2 of a township in Defiance Co, OH and another parcel in this county which was worth $1500.  Charles sold this property to Edwin Mills for $1300 plus other properties such as horses and wagons for cash.  Charles told her he wanted to sell this because he planned to take the family to Iowa.  He also sold property to Ensign, his son-in-law, and left Antoinette and their daughter Olive with no means of support.

In 1866 Antoinette told the court that she had a daughter Olive O. Dunkle.  Husband Charles was willfully absent for three years or more and lived in Maltie, Winnebago Co, IL.  Antoinette wanted $600 as reasonable alimony.  She received a divorce.  In the 1870 Rockford, Winnebago Co, IL federal census p192, Charles’ son Edwin, a livery stable keeper, was enumerated as Edwin Dunkle 24 NY; perhaps Charles left Antoinette to live with his son.

Again an Internet posting on the couple stated that they also had a daughter Louisa C. Dunkle, born c1860.  If that is true, this child may have died before the 1870 federal census mentioned below and the 1863 newspaper notice of lawsuit.  In the 1880 Center Twp, Wms Co, OH federal census p608B there was a Charles Dunkle 65 NY who was a father-in-law to Oren E. Ensign 48 OH and his wife Louisa C 40 NY plus Ensign children Clara V 17 OH and Ada 10 OH.. Backtracking to the 1870 Center Twp federal census p36, one finds Elbridge Ensign 39 OH and wife Clara 31 NY plus daughters Eunice 7 OH and Addie 2/12 OH. In the 1900 Center Twp, Williams Co, OH federal census p The Williams Center Cem has a couple buried there that fits the Dunkle profile; Charles Dunkle (1816-1901), Manerva, his wife, (d. 10 Apr 1838 @41Y 8M – note that the year is inaccurate and probably she died in 1858), and son Albert F. (d. 10 Apr 1855 @2Y 2M).  Charles Dunkle Sr. died in Wms Co on 19 Feb 1901 (Deaths V3 p27).

Later Antoinette married Abijah H. Corbett in Wms Co on 8 Dec 1866 (Marriages VV3 p631). The Corbetts were early settlers of the county arriving c1849. From the 1850 Superior Twp, Wms Co, OH federal census p36, one finds the Corbetts as Abijah 24 OH, Nancy 26 OH, Alice 2 OH. Abijah was first married to Nancy Gilbert who died on 11 Oct 1865 @41Y 5M 14D and was buried in the Brown Cem, Center Twp. 

From the Wms Co, Probate (#1174) one finds a guardianship set for Olive O. Dunkle. In the 1870 Center Twp federal census p2, the Corbetts were enumerated as Abijah 43 OH, Antoinette 31 OH, Alice 22 OH teacher, Arteman 15 OH, Flora 13 OH, Edmund 9 OH, and Olive Dunkle 9 OH. Abijah and Antoinette had a daughter Ada who died on 12 Oct 1870 and Antoinette was buried next to Ada in Brown Cem when she died on 5 May 1886 @47Y 19D of a heart attack.

Abijah married a third time to Lydia Shirkey on 24 Dec 1887 (Marriages V5 #1129) and later passed away on 15 May 1898; he joined his first two wives and several children in Brown Cem.  Antoinette’s daughter, Olive Dunkle, married George Zigler in Wms Co on 10 Feb 1887 (Marriages V5 #942).  She died on 23 Nov 1897 @36Y 11M 25D and was buried in Brown Cem next to her grandparents, Stephen B. (1814 – 1888) and first wife Jennet Byers McKelvey (1812 – Apr 1886).  Stephen married his twice-widowed sister-in-law, Mrs. Lucy Byers Eckis Finch, a physician and educator, on 4 Sept 1886 (Marriages V 5 #869). 

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