Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Wannemaker

Laura R. Hoffman Wannemaker v Charles A. Wannemaker (Journal 11 p344 - 13 Feb 1882; Roll 38 case number 996 - 12 Mar 1882)

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 11 February 2015)

The couple was married in Trumbull Co, OH on 13 Jan 1874 by Philander Green, MG (Marriage Bk L p326). Laura, daughter of Abram and Julia A. Kistler Hoffman, was born on 2 Aug 1853 in Lordstown, OH.  The couple had a daughter, Carrie (6), born 10 Apr 1874; from the Trumbull Co, OH birth certificate she was named Carmma.

On 29 Jan 1878 their son died; on 8 Oct 1878 they had another son, who may have also died young. Laura charged that on 27 May 1881 and for six weeks after this in the Fountain City Hotel of Bryan Charles committed adultery with Lizzie Van Susan or Van Dusen. Charles would not support Laura and lived with Lizzie in an adulterous state.  On 10 August 1881 in Trumbull Co, OH a male child named Charles Wannemaker was born to Wannemaker and Lizzie Vandusen.

The Eagle, West Unity, OH newspaper, 21 Aug 1881, ran an article that stated "CA Wannamaker of Warren and Lizzie Van Dozer of Youngstown were arrested in Bryan last Monday upon the charge of adultery.  Wannamaker is married and the couple eloped from Youngstown". 

Bryan Democrat, 1 Sept 1881 p5 c2

Arrested

Miss Lizzie VanDusen of the Wannamaker-VanDusen combination was arrested one day last week on charge of living not wisely but too much without license or something of that kind.  She plead guilty to the charges and Squire Cox assessed the penalty at $20 and costs which was promptly paid.

According to The Bryan Press, 1 Dec 1881 5p c1, the Williams County Grand Jury brought an indictment against Charles for adultery. The journal entry stated that there was a case of the State of Ohio v Charles Wannemaker: at first he said he was not guilty, but on 15 Mar 1882, he said he was guilty of adultery.