Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Snyder (Roll 47)

Sarah Nancy Housenick Snyder v Martin W. Snyder (Journal 15 p17 – 22 May 1889; p57 – June 1889; Roll 47 case number 2082 – 25 May 1889)

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 17 July 2011)

The couple was married at Ottawa, Putnam Co, OH on 18 Aug 1886(??).  An online source gives the date as 18 Aug 1888, same location. They had a son Otis Snyder who was 1 year old on 25 Sept 1888. (Williams Co, OH Birth V2 p110 shows birth date of Otis Snider, born 25 Sept 1888, Stryker, Williams Co, to Mastin Snyder and Sarah Houseneck).

According to Sarah, Martin left her on 22 Sept 1888 and then she was delivered of a child.  Martin has neglected them and refused to visit, live with, or contribute to their support.  Sarah was an orphan and had no place to live except for the kindness of other relatives and friends.  Martin was extremely cruel to her.  He owned property in Adams Twp, Defiance Co, OH.  Sarah wants a divorce and reasonable alimony.  She had two witnesses for her but the names are extremely difficult to decipher – S. Olmstead and Mary Olmstead, which fits from 1900 federal census below.  The journal stated there was a meeting in chambers at Paulding, OH and Sarah was granted a temporary injunction  from Martin trying to sell property.

A divorce was granted with Martin paying court costs and alimony of $1,000 plus the court placed a lien on real estate.

Now, on the surface I had very little information to go on, but once I started chasing down the census, other things fell into place.  Here’s what I found:

Since Sarah stated she was an orphan I checked the death records for a possible parent and found the following: Elizabeth Housnick died on 15 Feb 1879 @56Y in Springfield Twp, Williams Co, OH (Death V1 p50 – native of Germany, widow, consumption).

Sarah N. Housenick, the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Schaam Housenick, was born in Springfield Twp, Williams Co, OH in Nov 1860.

1860 Springfield, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M653_1052; Page: 73; Image: 149; Family History Library Film: 805052.

h/h 1140/1102 Hourenick, Jacob 36 Els

Elizabeth 31 Els

Louisa 14 NY

Mary A 8 OH

Susan 6 OH

Jacob 3 OH

Lana 2 OH

On 22 Jan 1864 Elizabeth Housnick, the widow of Jacob, applied for a widow’s pension based on her husband’s Civil War service in Co J 125^th OVI.

1870 Springfield, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M593_1282; Page: 210B; Image: 426; Family History Library Film: 552781.

h/h 84/84 Homnick, Elizabeth 45 Holland living with Andrew and Louisa Witt

Franklin 5 OH

Sarah 10 OH

1880 Stryker, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1078; Family History Film: 1255078; Page: 665B; Enumeration District: 13; Image: 0192

h/h 91/93 Umstead, Esquire 31 OH-NY-NY nighwatch in mill

Mary 35 wife OH-Germ-Germ

Charley 4 son OH-OH-OH

Houseneck, Sarah 19 OH-Germ-Germ sis-in-law, servant

1900 Stryker, Williams, Ohio; Roll: T623_1332; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 116.

h/h 119/199 Olmstead, Square (Apr 1848) 52 mar 27YOH-NY-NY day laborer

Mary A wife (July 1852) 47 1/1 ch OH-WI-NY

Charles M son (Dec 1875) 24 single OH-OH-OH

Houseneck, Sarah (Nov 1860) 39 OH-OH-OH sis-in-law

Otis (Sept 1888) 11 OH-OH-OH bro-in-law

(Note that Otis is a Houseneck not a Snyder; he is listed as bro-in-law to Olmstead)

1910  Pulaski, Williams, Ohio; Roll: T624_1241; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0127; Image: 852; FHL Number: 1375254.

h/h 21/21, Linden, Fredrick 68 mar 2x mar 10Y Germ-Germ-Germ farmer to US 1854

Sarah wife 49 mar 2x 2/2 ch OH-Germ-Germ

Snider, Otis step-son 21 OH-OH-OH laborer

(Linden) Franklin P son 7 OH-Germ-OH

Sarah Nancy Housnick Snyder Lindan died on 16 Aug 1938 in Bryan, Williams Co, OH @&&Y 9M 10D; she was a widow; she was buried in Fountain Grove, Bryan, OH.

Martin W Snyder, the son of Henry and Anna Zeider Snyder, was born in Mar 1858 in Adams Twp, Defiance Co, OH; he died c1931 possibly in Hiawatha, KS.

1860 Noble Twp, Defiance Co, OH with parents Henry and Anna

Snyder, Martin 2 OH

1880 Adams, Defiance, Ohio; Roll: 1011; Family History Film: 1255011; Page: 14C; Enumeration District: 229; Image: 0284.

h/h 239/231 Snyder, Martin 22 OH-Rheinbergen-OH w/mother Ann 50 widow OH-Fr-Fr and siblings

1900 Adams, Defiance, Ohio; Roll: T623_1263; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 1.

h/h 208/211 Snyder, Martin (Mar 1858) 42 OH-OH-OH laborer in mill, single w/brother William

On 16 Apr 1902 in Paulding Co, OH Martin W. Snyder, son of Henry J. Snyder and Ann Ziders/Zeider, married Elizabeth M. Byerly, daughter of Emanuel Byerly.  The groom was 42 and the bride was 35, born c1867 Stark Co, OH.

1910 Hiawatha, Brown, Kansas; Roll: T624_433; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0023; Image: 101; FHL Number: 1374446.

h/h 24/24 Snyder, Martin 52 mar 1x mar 8Y OH-Germ-OH farmer

Elizabeth M 45 wife 1/1 ch OH-Germ-OH

Olive J 5 dau OH-OH-OH

Kerns, Harrold adopted son 9 OH-Germ-OH

(Note the record states Martin was only married once – to Elizabeth)

1915 Robinson, Brown Co, Kansas State Census – Snyder, Martin W 57 OH

Elizabeth 51 OH

Joy 10 KS

Kern, Harrold 14 KS

1930 Hiawatha, Brown, Kansas; Roll: 694; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 6; Image: 674.0.

h/h 196/208 Snyder, Martin W 72 mar @44Y OH-Germ-OH no occup

Elizabeth 67 wife mar @39Y OH-Germ-OH

Joy 25 dau single Oh-OH-OH saleslady in dry goods store