Julia Ann Bell Bohner v George W. Bohner, 1877
He Poisoned the Minds of Their Children, Divorce in Williams County, Ohio, 1877
By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 2 October 2021)
Modern psychologists believe that when a couple does not get along, the parents need to be careful what they say about each other in the presence of the children, The youngsters need to feel secure and not believe they had something to do with the divorce. Back in the 1870's that wisdom was not always followed and one can only imagine the emotional scars the innocent had inflicted upon them by the callous and vindictive utterances of a selfish parent. This genealogical detailing concerns such a father who even bribed his children to spy on their mother.
George W. Bohner, b. 22 Feb 1834, Richland Co, OH, was one of ten children of Pennsylvania natives Jacob H. and Susannah Geaselman Bohner. The family moved to Brady Twp, Wms Co, OH c. June 1835 and established deep roots in the West Unity area. Father Jacob Bohner built the Bohner Tavern also called the Half-Way House and was locally noted as the strongest man in the county due to his broad shoulders and being over six feet height. He was never sick until a bout of dropsy caused his death on 25 April 1881. Wife Susannah had been blind for many years and died on 5 Feb 1883. They were both buried in the Floral Grove Cemetery in West Unity.
When George Bohner was 19 he left Ohio for California. In 1860 he was a yard man in Sacramento, CA (George 23 OH). In 1863 he was a farmer in Long Creek, IL. George was back in West Unity by 1866. He married Julia Ann Bell (b 28 Jan. 1845, Kendall, Kendall Co, IL, daughter of Royal and Amanda Judd Bell), on 26 August 1867 in Aubrey, Lee Co, IL The couple was listed in the 1870 West Unity, Brady Twp federal census, p7, as George W. 35 OH, Julia A. 25 IL, Lillie A. 2 OH, and Mandara 7/12 OH. George was the Williams County, OH County Coroner in 1873 and 1874.
Julia Bohner appeared in the Williams County Civil and Criminal Court (Journal 9 p290 - July 1877, 1 Sept 1877, 30 Nov 1877; Roll 29 case number 7 - Nov 1877) requesting a divorce from George. In many cases if the wife truly desired a divorce she would have to file multiple times to get the court's attention. This was one of those instances.
Julia named her five children and supplied birthdates for each as follows: Lillie Belle, 5 Sept 1868; Nellie Amanda, 5 Dec 1869; Florence Mabel, 20 Jan 1873; Perry Oliver, 14 May 1875; and Susan Maud, 23 Oct 1876. She charged George with extreme cruelty and told the court of his behavior with regard to the children. Julia stated that two weeks after the marriage the honeymoon was over. George became coarse, slanderous, and insanely jealous. He accused her of infidelity with many virtuous citizens of Williams County and with several relatives of George by blood and marriage, even with her own father. The physical violence she endured had grown more frequent with each year of marriage. On 1 Sept 1875 he attempted to choke her; eight days later he tried to poison the minds of her children by telling foul stories to the little girls. He even bribed the girls with money to watch her movements and report back to him. George told the girls that he was not their father, but that his father, Jacob Bohner, was their true dad and George encouraged the girls to tell this story to others.
Julia stated in court that she was suffering from heart palpitations and had been grossly neglected for the past three years. The final straw for her court appearance was the fact that George had taken the children and she wanted custody of them. Julia further desired a reasonable financial settlement as George was seized in fee simple of real estate valued at $6,000 plus he owned livestock and numerous household goods. Delos S. Thomas held claims on the real estate as George had recently mortgaged the lot. The testimony of her daughters Lillie and Nellie plus that of Jacob Bohner, Sr., George Moore, and Dr. Finch verified Julia's story.
She made an application for alimony and the court initially told George to pay her $75, but later after the next filing the court instructed George to pay Julia $200; furthermore, the court told him there would be a lien placed on his property and if he did not pay Julia this alimony the property on Sec 6 T7N R4E in Brady Twp would be sold. The Bohner children were given into the custody of their mother and Julia was finally granted a divorce. According to the 1880 West Unity, Brady Twp, Williams Co, OH Federal Census record, Julia Bohner was listed as 35 IL dressmaker with children Lillie Bell 11 OH, Nellie A 10 OH, Florence M 7 OH, Perry 5 OH, and Susan 3 OH.
By the 1885 Nebraska State Census Record George was living in Bradshaw, York Co, NE as George W druggist with wife Mary and step daughter Paula Leach. George had married Mrs Mary A Leech in Bradshaw on 23 February 1884. Mary (b 16 April 1848 IA) was the daughter of Stanford and Sedalia Jones. Mary sued George for a divorce, taking the case to the Nebraska Supreme Court -August to October 1891. From The Lincoln Daily (Lincoln, Nebraska), 27 August 1891, p8 c5 there was a divorce/slander action: Mary filed for $5,000 in that her husband George slandered her. He told people she cohabited with a Mr Miller, their boarder, and committed adultery on numerous occasions. He called her vile and vulgar names. George’s countersuit was discharged and Mary was left to appeal which she did on 21 October 1891, but the case was continued. By the 1900 Bradshaw, York Co, Nebraska federal census, George still lived there as a druggist, and widower. Mary was very much alive, living in Lancaster Co, NE where she would die on 8 May 1924.
The Shelby Sun (Shelby, NE) 30 May 1907 p2 c3 contained this obit: Dr GW Bohner, proprietor of a small patent medicine and drugstore in Bradshaw where he lived alone, was found dead. His body was dressed and lying across his bed in the rear room of his store. People waiting to get into the shop were unable to awaken him so they pried open a window and discovered his body. He had complained for several days but no one thought he was seriously ill as he was doing business as usual. Find-A-Grave stated that he was buried in the Plainfield Cemetery there in an unmarked grave, but a Williams Co, OH newspaper clipping, presumably from West Unity, OH, stated he died and his body was brought back to OH to be buried in the Floral Grove Cemetery, West Unity, OH.
What became of Julia and the girls? In the 1900 Casper, Natrona Co, Wyoming federal census, p300B, Julia was mother-in-law living with head of house Archibald Wallace, his wife Mable F, their children, and her single daughter Maud. In 1901 Julia took her granddaughter Ruth with her in July headed for a three month vacation in Denver, CO. According to the 1910 federal census for W. Casper, Natrona Co, WY, Julia was 62, a widow with five children, two surviving, and living with son-in-law Archibald Wallace, his new wife, their children, and her widowed daughter Maud Schulz.
Julia died on 19 April 1917 in Casper, WY and was buried in the Highland Cemetery. The Casper Star Tribune (Casper, WY), 20 April 1917, p10 c4 told the community that Julia Bohner had passed away. She had been a pioneer coming to Wyoming some 21 years ago, which means if true, she stayed in West Unity until 1896.
This story could end here, but in researching the family I discovered a few other pieces to share on the children of Julia and George Bohner, all born in Williams Co, OH:
1. Lillie Belle 5 September 1868 - aft 1880
2. Helen “Nellie” Amanda 5 December 1869 - 24 July 1953, m Archibald “Arthur” Wallace, 1908, National Co, WY - she was his second wife and former sister-in-law
3. Mabel Florence 20 January 1873 - 16 August 1906, m Archibald “Arthur” Wallace, 1892 in National Co, WY
4. Perry Oliver 14 May 1875 - 21 November 1896 Chicago, Cook Co, IL. Several newspapers carried the story of his demise - Perry, 22, was a janitor for a big Chicago business. After cleaning windows on the 8th floor he was finishing up when he slipped and fell to the pavement below, causing horrible injuries. He was not using a safety belt, which he had always done, when he fell. Perry had been an excellent worker for over a year. He was taken to the hospital and died shortly afterwards. Note - his date of death is about the same time period as when Julia moved to Wyoming.
5. Susan Maud 23 October 1876 - 14 May 1943, m Henry Schulz, 3 June 1904, m2 Asa Sloane
I found it curious that both wives, Julia and Mary, told similar stories about George’s jealousy, vile and vulgar slanders, and other forms of abuse. Also when George Bohner became coroner, he had no formal medical training that has been discovered and by the time he went to Bradshaw he was calling himself doctor.
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