22 February 2011

Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Coffman (Roll 47)



Margaret Elizabeth Ankney Coffman v Charles F. Coffman (Journal 14 p540 - 18 Mar 1889; Roll 47 case number 2040) – 26 Jan 1889

By Pamela Pattison Lash


The couple was married on 23 Apr 1874 in Paulding Co, OH.  Margaret charged Charles with being willfully absent for more than three years and providing no support for her and her children, Alice 14, Frank 12, and William 10.  She stated that Charles’ whereabouts were unknown to her.  She wanted alimony, restoration of her maiden name, and a divorce.  This proceeding included a newspaper clipping from the Montpelier Enterprise, a notice reporting her desires, which ran from 18 Mar 1889 for six consecutive weeks.  A divorce was then granted.

Margaret E Ankney, born in Nov 1853, probably in Paulding Co, OH, was the daughter of Henry and Barbara Ankney, Jr.  Here is what I found on this family:

1870 Emerald, Paulding, Ohio; Roll: M593_1254; Page: 521B; Image: 160; Family History Library Film: 552753.
h/h 75/68 Ankney, Henry 40 OH
Barbara 39 PA
Margaret E 16 OH
Francis 14 OH
Mary A 9 OH
Phebe E 7 OH
Lucinda 5 OH

Margaret married Charles on 23 Apr 1874 in Paulding Co, OH.

On 19 Oct 1874 in Emerald Twp, Paulding Co, OH, Barbara A Kauffman was born to Charles Kauffman and Margaret E. Ankney.  Online source states the child’s name was Alice Lucinda Coffman.

The couple also had two sons – Francis Marion Coffman (c1877) and William Henry Emory Coffman (July 1879).

1880 Troy, De Kalb, Indiana; Roll: 273; Family History Film: 1254273; Page: 48C; Enumeration District: 81; Image: 0096.
h/h25/26 Ankney, Henry 51 day laborer OH-PA-PA
Barbara 52 wife PA-PA-PA
Francis 17 son OH-OH-PA
Lacinda 15 dau OH-OH-PA
Coffman, Margaret 26 dau OH-OH-PA
Allie 5 granddau OH-un-OH
Francis 3 grandson OH-un-OH
Willie 11/12 July grandson OH-un-OH

Margaret began the divorce proceedings c26 Jan 1889; there may have been two reasons not stated in the action that motivated Margaret to do this:
1. On 15 June 1886 in Paulding Co, OH Charles F. Coffman married Sarah B Richers.  This is assuming that this Charles is her errant husband.  If so, he clearly married another without benefit of a divorce from Margaret.
2.  Margaret wanted the divorce so she could marry again, which is what she did c1890 to James Harger.  These are two census records that support this:

1900 Otsego, Steuben, Indiana; Roll: T623_404; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 101.
h/h 316/316 Harger, James (Nov 1841) 58 m10Y OH-OH-OH farmer
Margaret wife (Nov 1853) 46 m10Y 6/5 ch OH-OH-OH
Myrte M dau (May 1891) 9 OH-OH-OH
Riley son (Nov 1894) 3 IN-OH-OH

1910  Hatton, Clare, Michigan; Roll: T624_642; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0028; Image: 7; FHL Number: 1374655.
h/h 25/25 Harger, Jas R 68 mar 2x mar 19Y OH-OH-OH farmer
Margaret E wife 56 mar 2x 6/5 ch OH-OH-OH
Myrtle dau 18 OH-OH-OH
Riley son 15 OH-OH-OH

Margaret died on 30 August 1940 in Clare Co, MI according to online source.

So what happened to Charles Coffman?  It may be that he is -
Charles F. Coffman, born 1846 in Lanier, Preble Co, OH, the son of John Henry and Barbara Heaston Coffman.

1850 Lanier, Preble, Ohio; Roll: M432_723; Page: 316B; Image: 178.
h/h Coffman, John 51
Barbara 43
George B 19 OH
Jacob H 15 OH
Elizabeth 13 OH
Vinton W 8 OH
Charles 4 OH
Emily 1 OH

1860  Lanier, Preble, Ohio; Roll: M653_1026; Page: 151; Image: 305; Family History Library Film: 805026.
Coffman, Charles 13 OH living with his parents and siblings

By 1870 the Coffman parents had moved to Dayton, Montgomery Co, OH, but Charles is not with them.  After the 1886 marriage to Sarah Richer he is missing.  More research needs to be done on him.

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