The US Centennial Spelled Freedom for a Civil War Veteran
and His Lady Dressmaker – Divorce in Williams County, Ohio, 1876
By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 19 September 2011)
As more records become available, I have been able to update some of the divorce actions previously posted. This is an example of “what happened to” the principals after their divorce. The lady pursued the occupation of dressmaker and experienced great sorrow as both of her sons died, leaving her alone. The Civil War Veteran remarried and lived out his days as a teacher and a notary public before his health declined and he was transferred to a veterans’ home. Whether the couple ever spoke to one another after 1876 is not known; what mattered most was they were free from each other.
Mary E. Maze Yeagley v Charles Henry Yeagley (Journal 8 p534 - 22 May 1876; Roll 28 case number 53 - May 1876)
The couple was married in Williams Center, Center Twp, Wms Co, OH on 14 Mar 1860 (Marriage V3 p96). Mary, born on 22 Jan 1837 in Crawford Co, OH, was the daughter of Robert and Sarah Delano Mitchell Maze, who lived in Bridgewater Twp. Charles Henry Yeagley was born in Feb 1839, also a possible Crawford County native.
Mary charged her husband with adultery; the third party was Martha J. Chisholm. This happened on 15 Nov 1875 near Edon in a certain buggy and again on 17 Nov 1875. She also stated that Charles was violent and struck her on 17 Oct 1875. Charles was a habitual drunk for two years or more. Mary said she owned Lot 96 in Edgerton and wanted a reasonable alimony. The couple had two sons, James Ashley (15) who temporarily resided with William Britton, and Kyle Clifton (8). A divorce was granted in May 1876.
Charles Henry Yeagley, the son of Andrew and Catherine Dougherty Yeagley, is found living in Vernon, Crawford Co, OH with his parents.
1850 Vernon, Crawford, Ohio; Roll: M432_671; Page: 338B; Image: 45.
h/h 251/252 Yeagley, Andrew 45 PA merchant
Catharine 43 PA
George W 14 PA
Henry 11 OH
Catharine 9 OH
Jas KP 6 OH
Martha A 4 OH
Supposedly the Yeagleys moved from Crawford Co, OH to Williams Co, OH c1852 according to a 1905 biography of George M Yeagley (The History of Williams County, Ohio, William Henry Shinn, 1905); therefore one now finds the Yeagley parents and siblings living in Williams County, Ohio by this census:
1860 Centre, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M653_1052; Page: 78; Image: 159; Family History Library Film: 805052.
h/h 1213/1168 Yagley, Andrew 55 PA
Catherine 53 PA
Catherine 19 OH
James 15 OH
Martha 13 OH
However, Mary E Maze and her family moved from Crawford Co, OH to Williams Co, OH earlier as they appear in this federal census record:
1850 Center, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M432_741; Page: 71A; Image: 143.
h/h 91/93 Maze, Robert 52 PA farmer
Sarah 49 OH
David 17 OH
Jason 15 OH
Mary 14 OH
Andrew 10 KY
Sarah 8 OH
Mary’s father appears to have died here - Robert Maze (1797 Washington Co, PA-1855 Williams Co, OH) and her mother may have left to live with other relatives, but she died in Bridgewater Twp, Williams Co, OH on 18 Feb 1887 of old age at 85Y 15D (Williams County, Ohio Death Records, WCGS, V2 p36). Her obituary is also listed as Sarah Delano Mitchell Maze (1802 OH – c24 Feb 1887, Bryan Press).
Mary and Charles were married in Williams Co, OH on 14 Mar 1860; they were enumerated in the following federal census records and military service data online:
1860 Centre, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M653_1052; Page: 77; Image: 158; Family History Library Film: 805052.
h/h 12**/1160 Yagley, Charles H 22 OH no occup listed
Mary 22 OH
Charles Henry Yeagley served his country during the Civil War - Co E 38th Ohio Infantry – entered 10 Sept 1861 in Bryan, OH as a private; mustered out 18 Feb 1862 in Lexington, KY as a private (filed under Henry Yagley)
NARA publication title: Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations From the State of Ohio, M552, roll number: 121, film number: 882334
1870 Center, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M593_1282; Page: 56B; Image: 116; Family History Library Film: 552781.
h/h 269/269 Yeagley, Henry 31 OH school teacher
Mary E 31 KY
James M 9 OH
Kile C 3 OH
Charles’ parents also lived in the neighborhood
1870 Center, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M593_1282; Page: 53B; Image: 110; Family History Library Film: 552781.
h/h 226/226 Yeagley, Andrew 66 PA retired farmer
Catherine 63 PA
James K 26 OH farm laborer
James C 21 OH at home
It appears that Charles’ father died about a year later.
Andrew Yeagley (1805 PA-1871 Center Twp, Williams Co, OH) and Catherine, his wife died in 1875; they are buried in the Williams Center Cemetery, Center Twp, Williams Co, OH (Center Twp Cemetery Records, WCGS, 1992, p83)
Mary filed and received a divorce decree in 1876. In her divorce action she stated that she had a lot in Edgerton and that is where one finds her in 1880. She lived out the rest of her life in Williams County, OH as show by these records:
1880 Edgerton, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1078; Family History Film: 1255078; Page: 581A; Enumeration District: 9; Image: 0022.
h/h 88/89 Yeagley, Mary 42 divorced, dressmaker OH-OH-OH
James son 19 OH-OH-OH printer OH-OH-OH
Kile son 13 OH-OH-OH
Son James Yeagley died here as he is found in this online record:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.2/MXP6-4KH/p1
Name: James Yeagley
Death Date: 30 Aug 1884
Death Place: Bryan, Williams, Ohio
Age: 23
Birth Date: 1861
Birthplace: Center Tp., O.
Occupation: Printer
Race: White
Marital Status: Single
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: B05182-7
System Origin: Ohio-EASy
Source Film Number: 914034
Reference Number: v 2 p 29
Collection: Ohio Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997
From Williams County, Ohio Death Records, WCGS, V2 p29 one also learns James died of kidney trouble at 23Y 6M 23D.
Son Kyle Yeagley died about two years later – Bryan Press, 2 Sept 1886; therefore, Mary had moved from Edgerton to Bryan sometime before 1884 where she lived alone until her death in 1912. Land records and her probate (Williams County, Ohio Probate, Case number 5630 – estate) may shed more light on her financial affairs and the distribution of her estate to her heirs.
1900 Bryan, Williams, Ohio; Roll: T623_1332; Page: 18A; Enumeration District: 111.
South Walnut St
h/h 430/450 Yeagley, Mary E 62 (Feb 1838) widow, 2/0 ch OH-PA-PA dressmaker
1910 Pulaski, Williams, Ohio; Roll: T624_1241; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0128; Image: 886; FHL Number: 1375254.
427 Walnut Street
h/h 136/137 Yeagley, Mary E 73 OH-US-OH divorced 2/0 ch no occup
Mary E. Yeagley died on 9 Apr 1912 at the age of 76Y 2M 8D. According to her obituary in The Bryan Democrat, 12 Apr 1912 p4, Mary was a great reader and a member of the WCTU, Eastern Star, and the local Methodist Church. It also stated that she was married to Charles Yeagley in 1858, which is inaccurate.
Mary Yeagley (1838-1912) was buried beside her sons, Kyle Clifton (1867-1886) and James Ashley (1861-1884), in the Fountain Grove Cemetery in Bryan.
Obituaries for Mary Maze Yeagley:
Bryan Press, 11 Apr 1912 and Bryan Democrat, 12 Apr 1912 p4
So what happened to Charles after the 1876 divorce?
Charles H. Yeagley next married Lizzie J Wollam in Putnam Co, OH on 5 Nov 1881 (Putnam Co, OH Marriages, V3 p51). Elizabeth J. Wollam, the daughter of Joseph and Celia Timmons Wollam of DuPont, Putnam Co, OH, was born on 3 Mar 1864 in DuPont, Putnam Co, OH.
Charles and Lizzie had the following three daughters:
Grace Yeagley (born June 1882 in Paulding Co, OH) married Harlen Lehman on 13 Feb 1901 in Paulding Co, OH.
There is an Elva S Yeagley (22 Nov 1886 – 16 Mar 1888); death at Brown Twp, Paulding Co, OH and burial in Switzer Cem, Melrose, Paulding Co, OH. It seems likely this was their daughter.
Blanche F Yeagley (born 12 Dec 1888 in Brown Twp, Paulding Co, OH) married Harry E Wallace on 20 Aug 1905 in Paulding Co, OH.
1900 Melrose, Paulding, Ohio; Roll: T623_1312; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 44.
h/h 4/4 Yeagley, Charles 61 (Feb 1839) OH-PA-PA mar 18Y notary public
Lizzie J wife 36 (Mar 1864) 3/2 ch OH-OH-OH
Grace dau 17 (June 1882) OH-OH-OH
Blanche dau 11 (Dec 1888) OH-OH-OH
(Note that Lizzie was the mother of three children with one deceased, which would account for Elva S. Yeagley’s death in 1888.)
1910 Paulding, Paulding, Ohio; Roll: T624_1220; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0064; Image: 1092; FHL Number: 1375233.
Harrison Street
h/h 127/134 Yeagley, Charles H 71 mar 2x mar 25Y OH-PA-PA own income
Elizabeth wife 46 mar 1x 3/2 ch OH-OH-OH
Spitanangle, Celia mother-in-law 70 widow 6/6 ch OH-OH-OH
Stran, Calla boarder 21 OH-OH-OH public school teacher
Physically impaired sometime between 1910-1912, Charles Yeagley, a Civil War veteran, was transferred to the US National Home for Volunteer Soldiers in Dayton, Montgomery Co, OH. His case notes show the following: slight loss of vision, loss of teeth, loss of ½ part of right index finger, cardiac problems and rheumatism; cause of discharge – surgeon’s certificate; 5’ 9 ½”, blue eyes, grey hair, teacher, married to Elizabeth Yeagley, resident of Paulding Co, OH; upon death his body was shipped to Paulding Co, OH for burial.
Charles H. Yeagley died on 23 May 1912 in Dayton, Jefferson Twp, Montgomery Co, OH at the age of 73Y; he was married and a teacher.
Widow Elizabeth J. Yeagley applied for and received a CW pension on 8 June 1912. Elizabeth died on 28 June 1933 in Paulding, Paulding Co, OH; she was buried in Live Oak Cemetery according to her online death certificate.
