20 April 2012

Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Hughes/Lees, 1908


By Pamela Pattison Lash

This divorce action is an excellent example of how records have many different dates and different name data so one has to sift through this carefully.

Hattie E Lees Hughes v Leo A Hughes

Bryan Democrat, 14 Jan 1908 p1 c2

Hattie E Lees Hughes of Edon received a divorce from Leo.  The couple was married in Michigan following a few days acquaintance at a summer resort last July.  Less than a month after they married Hattie filed for divorce with the charge of a fraudulent marriage contract.  Leo unduly and improperly influenced her.  Hattie was restored to her maiden name and paid the court costs.  CA Bowersox was her attorney.

Here’s what I found on this couple:

They were married on 23 July 1907 in Marshall, Calhoun Co, Michigan by Charles J Lane, JP.  Hattie was 21 and Les Hughes was 23; she was born in Ohio and he was born in Detroit, MI; Les was the son of William P Hughes and Lydia Ettey; Hattie was the daughter of John Lees.  The parties were both single. He was a salesman, while she was a milliner.  He resided in Battle Creek, MI and she lived in Edon, OH.  Their witnesses were Bertha Avery and William H Porter, both of Marshall, MI. Note than a William P Hughes married a Lydia A Utley on 31 Dec 1869 in Genesee, MI.  One of their sons was Andrew L Hughes, born 2 Nov 1883 in Flint, Genesee, MI. Note the bolded info seems not to be accurate.

1900 Venice, Shiawassee, Michigan; Roll: 744; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 98; FHL microfilm: 1240744.
h/h 256/257 Hughes, William 45
Lydia wife 42
Leo son 16 (Sept 1883) MI-MI-MI clerk in hardware store
Bertha dau
Mable dau

Online info stated this:
WWI Draft Registration
Leo Andrew Hughes
resides: 22 Lincoln, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan
age 37 Y
b 03 Sep 1881
occupation: conductor of Detroit United Railway, Detroit, Michigan
next of kin: Mrs. Sarah Hughes, same address
registered 12 Sep 1918 at Detroit, Wayne, Michigan

In 1920 he was a motor man for a street car with wife Sarah B; they lived in San Bernardino, CA

Birth record name is Andrew L. Hughes.
1910 census resides with sister Margaret, listed as widowed, listed as Leo A.
1920 and 1930 census listed as Leo A.
California death record listed as Andrew Louis Hughes.

Birth is registered in Genesee County as 03 Nov 1883.
He gave 03 Sep 1881 on draft card.
Death record gives birth as 09 Sep 1883.

Hattie Eugenia Lees was the daughter of Elmer E Lees and Elizabeth Carey.   She was born on 22 July 1886 in Edon, Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH and died on 1 Feb 1946 in Williams Co, OH

1910 Florence, Williams, Ohio; Roll: T624_1241; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0120; Image: 686; FHL microfilm: 1375254.
h/h 117/118 Lees, Elmer E 47 mar 27Y OH-Ire-IN livestock, horse dealer
Eliza 45 wife 6/4 ch IN-NJ-NY
Hattie 23 dau single OH-OH-IN
Edith E 14 dau OH-OH-IN

On 16 Sept 1911 Hattie E Lees married Clifford Maxwell, the son of Samuel Maxwell and Elizabeth J Parrott; Clifford was born on 15 Nov 1879 in Steuben Co, IN and died in Edon, Williams Co, OH on 8 Nov 1939.  In the 1920 Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH federal census the Maxwells lived next door to her parents.  Hattie had two sons, Richard and Robert Maxwell. On their marriage license it stated that Hattie was once previously married and was divorced.


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