Divorce Action in Williams Co, OH - Russell

Samuel Russell v Irene S. Whitney Russell (Journal 12 p267 - 12 Apr 1884; Roll 40 case number 1279 – Apr 1884) – see Mary Spaulding Robinson

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 15 September 2021)

In the 1850 Center Twp, Porter Co, IN federal census p196B, Samuel Russell was listed with his family as Samuel 42 MA, Caroline 40 CT, Lorenzo 17 OH, Martha 9 OH, Mary 7 OH, and Amaraziah Lapman 24 OH laborer.  Caroline Russell died on 4 Oct 1859 @49Y 6M and was buried in the Union Street (Old City) Cem at Valparaiso, IN, along with several infants, daughter Martha (d 27 Sept 1859 @11Y), and Almon Russell (19 Apr 1831 – 5 June 1848).  In the 1860 Valparaiso, Center Twp, federal census p287, Samuel was listed as 51 MA wagon maker, Mary 17 OH, Lorenzo 26 OH, Elizabeth 22 NY, and Franklin 4/12 IN. 

Samuel Russell and Irene S. Whitney Spaulding, daughter of Thomas and Irena Place Whitney and widow of George A Spaulding, were married on 15 Sept 1861, possibly in Valparaiso, Porter Co, IN where on 19 May 1863 Irene owned Lots 7 and 8 in West Valparaiso. Irene’s mother and siblings were enumerated in the 1850 Woodbridge, Hillsdale Co, MI federal census as Irene Whitney 59 NY, Thomas 33 NY, and Sophia S. 20 NY; Irene’s father may have died before 1850. Irene by 1850 was married to George A Spaulding and she and her family were enumerated in the 1850 Hillsdale, Hillsdale Co, MI federal census and as a widow she was the head of her family in the same location via the 1860 federal census records. One of her children, Mary E Spaulding, is detailed in a divorce proceedings against her husband, James Robinson, cNovember 1873.

What is known? Irene, b Dec 1824 in NY, had a sister, Sophia Susannah Whitney, who had married Lewis Smart Hazen in Pioneer, Wms Co, OH on 17 Dec 1854; this may be the reason why the Russells moved to Pioneer in May 1869 and were enumerated in the 1870 federal census p7 as Samuel 62 MA wagon maker, Irena 46 NY, and Mary Robinson 21 MI without occupation. 

Again in the 1880 Pioneer, Madison Twp federal census p476A, they were listed as Samuel 72 MA wagon maker, and wife Irena 55 NY who was in poor and debilitating condition.  The History of Williams County, Ohio, Goodspeed, 1882, p417, stated that Samuel owned a wagon shop in Pioneer as of 1882.  Samuel charged Irene with being willfully absent for three years or more. She lived in Lucas Co, OH.  It is unclear whether a divorce was granted or whether this indeed was a divorce case as Samuel sued both Irene and Thomas C. Durbin over rent money for land Samuel owned, but in which Irene held a claim.  Samuel died on 1 Mar 1899 and was buried in the Floral Grove Cemetery in Pioneer. In the 1900 El Monte Twp, Los Angeles, CA federal census p122, Irene S. Russell, a widow, 76 NY with one child surviving (unknown at this time), lived with her sister Sophia and husband Lewis S. Hazen, an insurance agent.