Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Babinger (Roll 48)

Dora Mary Slusser Babinger v Lewis Babinger (Journal 15 p201 – 3 March 1890; Roll 48 Box 161 case number 2146) – Mar 1890

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 14 May 2012)

The couple was married on 15 Jan 1882 in Hillsdale Co, MI (Marriage E p346).

Dora charged Lewis with extreme cruelty.  He made threats and raised a glass fruit jar against her face.  This coupled with disrespectful language and humiliation in front of her friends and the community at large prompted her to seek this action.  The couple had a five-year-old son.  The proceedings were dismissed on 3 March 1890.  They were later divorced in 1908 according to an online source plus my findings in census records and later marriages for both parties.  It is not known at present where the final divorce took place.

This is what is know of the principals:

Louis Babinger (3 May 1862/1863 Williams Co, OH – 22 Feb 1946 Defiance, Defiance Co, OH) son of Louis Babinger, SR. (15 Aug 1825 Alsace, France – 24 Aug 1902 Stryker, Springfield Twp, Wms Co, OH – Death V3 p10) and Martha Magdaline Hoplinger, married 3 Jan 1856, Stark Co, OH; Martha Magdaline (15 Aug 1838 Stark Co, OH – 21 Aug 1897 Stryker, Springfield Twp, Wms Co, OH – Death V3 p7)

Louis Babinger, Jr. married a third time prior to his death; his wife’s name was Amelia.

Dora Slusser (4 June 1866 Wms Co, OH – aft 1910) d/o Samuel Slusser and Rachel Garlinger who were married in Wms Co 1 Aug 1866 – Marriage V3 p588; Dora married a second time with a likely divorce as well.

Initially I thought this - Dora Slusser has very early lineage in Williams Co, OH.  Her great-grandparents may be:

Thomas Jefferson Prettyman (4 July 1790 Sussex Co, DE – 4 Aug 1835 Williams Co, OH) and Lydia Wyatt (17 May 1792 Sussex Co, DE – 28 July 1844 Williams Co, OH)

Their dau Mary M Prettyman (16 Sept 1817 OH – 17 May 1861 Williams Co, OH; m Jones Peter Slusser, 1 May 1837 in Williams Co, OH – Marriage V1 p24; he born 25 May 1811 NY – 1 May 1867 Williams Co, OH)

Their son Samuel Slusser married Rachael Garlinger (Nov 1840, PA – 24 May 1903 Bryan, Williams Co, OH – Death V3 p125) – see Miriam Garlinger Lawson divorce detailing for more information on this side of the family

Here is a timeline for the Babinger/Slusser family.

1850 Springfield, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M432_741; Page: 97A; Image: 192. – Slusser family in Wms Co, OH

h/h 415/424 Slusser, James 39 NY farmer 
Mary 32 OH
Thomas 12 OH
Lydia 10 OH
Samuel 7 OH
Mary 5 OH
Prettyman, Margaret 16 OH


1860 Springfield, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M653_1052; Page: 64; Image: 132; Family History Library Film: 805052. - under James and Mary Plussen
h/h 1012/972 Plussen, James 49 NY farmer
Mary 43 OH
Thomas 22 OH
Lydia 19 OH
Mary 15 OH
Marian 8 OH
Allen 1 OH
Alice 1 OH
Note - Samuel is not in this record

1860 Springfield, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M653_1052; Page: 73; Image: 149; Family History Library Film: 805052. – Popinger/Babinger family in Wms Co, OH

1864 Williams Co, OH Atlas – J. Slusser, Springfield Twp Sec 28,29

1870 Springfield, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M593_1282; Page: 205A; Image: 415; Family History Library Film: 552781.

h/h 5/5 Papinger, Louis 45 FR farmer

Lena 30 OH

Joseph 13 OH

John 10 OH

Michael 9 OH

Louis 8 OH

Frank 7 OH

Mary 2 OH

1870 Springfield, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M593_1282; Page: 215B; Image: 436; Family History Library Film: 552781.

h/h 161/161 Schlesser, Samuel 25 OH farmer

Rachel 27 PA

Mary D 3 PA

John 1 PA

Snook, Nancy 16 PA

(Note the surname is Schlesser not Slusser and children were listed as PA natives.)

1874 Williams Co, OH Atlas – L Babinger, Springfield Twp Sec 27

1880 Springfield, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1078; Family History Film: 1255078; Page: 681C; Enumeration District: 13; Image: 0223.

h/h 337/360 Babinger, Louis 55 Germ-Germ-Germ farmer

Martha 42 wife 42 OH-Germ-Germ

Joseph 23 son OH-Germ-OH farm worker

John 21 son OH-Germ-OH farm worker

Michael 20 son OH-Germ-OH farm worker

Louis 18 son OH-Germ-OH farm worker

Frank A 17 son OH-Germ-OH

Catherine 13 dau OH-Germ-OH

Anna 5 dau Oh-Germ-OH

1880 Springfield, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1078; Family History Film: 1255078; Page: 671C; Enumeration District: 13; Image: 0203.

h/h 183/193 Schlosser, Samuel  27 OH-MD-PA farmer

Rachel 29 wife Pa-PA-OH

Dora M  dau 12 OH-OH-PA

William  son 11 OH-OH-PA

Martha J dau 9 OH-OH-PA

David 6 son OH-OH-PA

Andrew 3 son OH-OH-PA

Clod (m) 2 son OH-OH-PA

Note – living next door to Andrew and Catherine Schlosser who already has a son Samuel S aged 19 living with him

Note – ages should be Samuel 37 and Rachel 39

Looking at this census more closely, it could be that this Samuel belongs to the following based on the birthplaces of his parents - MD and PA:

Samuel Slusser/Schlosser (1804 MD - )

Nancy Mays (1809 PA – 11 Nov 1885)

1850 Tiffin, Defiance, Ohio; Roll: M432_674; Page: 51B; Image: 615.

h/h 685/685 Slusser, Samuel 42 MD farmer

 Nancy 40 PA

Andrew 19 PA farmer

Elizabeth 17 PA

Catherine 15 PA

Lucinda 13 MD

John 10 MD

Ezra 8 MD

Samuel 6 OH

George 4 OH

Isaiah 1 OH

1860 Tiffin, Defiance, Ohio; Roll: M653_947; Page: 414; Image: 281; Family History Library Film: 803947.

h/h 974/962 Slusser, Sam 55 MD farmer

Nancy 49 PA

John 20 MD

Ezra 18 MD

Samuel 16 OH

George 14 OH

Isaiah 12 OH

William 10 OH

1870 Tiffin, Defiance, Ohio; Roll: M593_1195; Page: 178A; Image: 359; Family History Library Film: 552694.

h/h 24/24 Schlosser, Samuel 66 MD

Nancy 61 PA

William 19 OH

Catherine 36 PA

George 6 IN

1880 Tiffin, Defiance, Ohio; Roll: 1011; Family History Film: 1255011; Page: 248B; Enumeration District: 242; Image: 0722.

h/h 98/98 Schlosser, Samuel 73 farmer MD-MD-PA

Nancy wife 69 PA-PA-PA

Note – living next door to son William

More research needs to be done to definitely prove the Slusser relationship.

The couple, Dora and Louis, marry on 15 Jan 1882 in Hillsdale Co, MI.

Birth of son Sylvester Wesley Babinger (19 Jan 1885 West Unity, Brady Twp, Wms Co, OH – 11 Aug 1942 Wauseon, Fulton Co, OH; mar Mrs. Jennie Baer Kent, 20 Dec 1905, Wauseon, Fulton Co, OH) – see Baer/Bear divorce detailings for more

(Civil War service for father Lewis Babinger, SR.) 1890 Veterans Schedule for Springfield Twp, Williams Co, OH - Lewis was Pvt in Co D 38th OVI, living in Evansport, Defiance Co, OH, 10 months in service

1894 Williams Co Atlas – Mary Slusser, Springfield Twp Sec 29

Louis Babinger, Springfield Twp Sec 27

1900 Noble, Defiance, Ohio; Roll: T623_1263; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 16.

h/h 79/80 Babinger, Lewis  (May 1865) 37 OH-Germany-OH m 18Y child 1/1 farmer, rents home

Dora wife (June 1867) 32 OH-PA-PA 

Sylvester son (Jan 1884) 16 OH-OH-OH

John G brother  (Nov 1858) 42 widower

Francis W nephew  (Nov 1885) 14

14 Sept 1908 Dora Slusser Babinger married Nathan J. Hill in Fulton Co, OH

Nathan J. Hill (1870 – 26 Feb 1958 Wms Co, OH).  It would appear that Dora later divorced Nathan as he married again on 4 Dec 1913 in Lucas Co, OH to Eliza Vrooman.

1910 Delaware Twp, Defiance Co OH p117A; Louis Babinger is listed as divorced OH-Germ-Germ 46 years old, living by himself

28 May 1910, Defiance Co, OH – marriage of Louis Babinger to Mrs. Lizzie Myers, widow, d/o Mordica Fair and Caroline Rochrig; Lizetta (2 Jan 1873 Defiance Co, OH – 20 June 1921 Defiance Co, OH; bur Brunersburg Cem, Defiance Co, OH)

1910 German, Fulton, Ohio; Roll: T624_1184; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 0009; Image: 302; FHL Number: 1375197.

Lincoln St

h/h 282/293 Babinger, Sylvester 25 mar 4Y OH-OH-OH works in stave factory

Jennie 44 married 2x 2/2 ch OH-NY-NY

Hill, Dora mother 44 married 2x 1/1 ch OH-PA-PA

I can not find Dora Slusser Babinger Hill after 1910 federal census.