03 November 2010

Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Ritter

Mary Melissa "Melvina" Tingley Ritter v John Y. Ritter (Journal 12 p94 - 6 June 1883; Roll 39 Box 128 case number 1140 - 17 Apr 1883)

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 9 Apr 2011)

The couple was married on 15 Nov 1873 in Amboy, Hillsdale Co, MI.  John, born on 21 Feb 1829 in Varick, Seneca Co, NY, was enumerated in the 1850 Fayette, Seneca Co, NY federal census as John Ritter 20 NY and Deborah 21 NY and in the 1860 Gorham Twp, Fulton Co, OH federal census, p414, as John Y. Ritter 30 NY, Deborah 31 NY, Elida 9 NY, and Willard 7 NY.

Mary, born on 17 Mar 1852 in Columbia, NW Twp, Wms Co, was the daughter of Jared Isaac and Sarah Ann McNelia/McNeal Tingley, natives of Mercer Co, PA.  The family left PA and traveled by wagon to Iowa and later back to Columbia, NW Twp, Wms Co in the early 1850's; in 1859 they made a second wagon trip to Kansas and then moved back to NW Twp by 1860. The Tingleys were enumerated in the 1860 NW Twp federal census p3, as Isaac 43 PA, Sarah 32 PA, Warner 13 Iowa, Orange 10 Iowa, Melissa 8 OH, Almira 5 OH, Lodema 3 OH, and Lorena 11/12 OH; they were again listed in the 1870 NW Twp federal census p15, as Jared 53 PA, Sarah A 42 PA, Warren 22 IA, Mary 18 OH, Sarah A 15 OH, Lodema 13 OH, Lorena 9 IL, Ida 6 OH, Ally 3 OH, John 9/12 OH, Jared 8 OH, and Mary M 18 OH.  By the 1880 NW Twp federal census p429A, Jared and family were listed as Jared 63 PA, Sarah A 52 PA, Lorena 20 IL, Jared 18 OH, Ida 15 OH, Ally 13 OH, John 10 OH, Melvina Ritter 26 OH and Cora Ritter 4 MI.

Mary charged John Y. Ritter with gross neglect and being willfully absent for three years or more.  She stated that on 13 Nov 1876 he left her.  They had a daughter Cora A, b 22 Nov 1875 in Ransom Twp, Hillsdale Co, MI. A legal notice appeared in the Bryan Press, 25 May 1883.  A divorce was granted. 

Mary later married George V. Kime in Wms Co on 26 Aug 1883.  George, the son of John and Catherine Culbertson Kime, was married before to a Chloe Letitia Harman, who died on 1 Feb 1882 and was buried in the Malcolm Cem, NW Twp.  Melvina Kime died on 23 Oct 1896 and was buried in the Malcolm Cemetery; George died on 13 June 1899 and was buried between his two wives. 

John Y. Ritter married Sarah M. Bostoff in Wms Co on 21 Feb 1889 (Marriage V5 #1442).  He died on 20 June 1913 in Brady Twp, Williams Co, OH. Daughter Cora Ritter married Richard F. Folk on 20 May 1893 in Wms Co (Marriage V6 #953).

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