Sometimes one can find mention of a divorce action through old newspaper articles. This is how this action was discovered.
15 Sept 1904, Bryan Democrat, p3
Legal Notice
Harmon J Kurtz will take notice that on the 1st September, 1904, Rose Kurtz, filed her petition in the Clerk’s Office of the Court of Common Pleas of Williams County, Ohio, the object and prayer of which are for the procurement of a divorce from the said defendant on the grounds of gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty.
Said defendant is required to answer in said cause not later than six weeks after the 8th day of September being the first date of publication, hereof or the relief sought will be decreed as by default. Rose Kurtz, plaintiff
By Scott and Peck, her attorneys, Bryan, OH, 1 Sept 1904
HJ Kurtz married Rose Kuhn on 30 May 1902 in Defiance Co, OH; she was 25 and he was 30.
The Groom/Family
Harmon J Kurtz (5 July 1871, Bryan, Pulaski Twp, Williams Co, OH – 20 June 1944 Sandusky, Erie Co, OH @ 72Y 11M 15D; burial at Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Cemetery) was the son of Gottlieb and Caroline Repp Kurtz.
Fountain Grove Cem, Bryan, Pualski Twp, Williams Co, OH (WCGS, 1992, p105)
Lot #1193
Kurtz, Caroline, w/o Gottlob 1850-1937 (born 22 Feb 1850 Wettenburg, Germany; died 8 Nov 1937 Defiance Co, OH)
Gottlob 1849-1904 (born Germany; died 8 Oct 1904, Bryan, Williams Co, OH)
Bryan Democrat, 13 October 1904 p6
Gottlieb Kurtz was born in Germany, 13 Oct 1849, died at Bryan, OH, 8 Oct 1904 at the age of 54Y 11M 25D. He leaves as near relatives a widow, 3 sons, 2 daughters, and 2 sisters. His funeral was at home with a quartet rendering three selections.
The Bride/Family
Rose Delores Kuhn (23 Apr 1881 Bryan, Pulaski Twp, Williams Co, OH – Births V2 p33 – 25 Apr 1958, Bryan, Pulaski Twp, Williams Co, OH; burial at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH) was the daughter of Andrew and Sylvania Friedel Kuhn.
St Joseph Cem, Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH (WCGS, 1995,p225, 234, 243, 245)
Kuhn, Andrew (10 Sept 1841 Germany – 19 Apr 1917, Alvordton, Williams Co, OH @76Y 7M 8D)
Sylvania (Friedel), wife of Andrew (1 Jan 1844, Germany – 31 Jan 1912, Bryan, Pulaski Twp, Williams Co, OH) @68Y 30D)
1870 Bryan, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M593_1282; Page: 184B; Image: 372; Family History Library Film: 552781.
h/h 171/171 Kutz, Gottlieb 21 Wurtemburg laborer
Caroline 20 Wurtemburg
Mills, Kate 20 Wurtemburg
Ebermire, Dora 8/12 Ohio born Dec 1869
All living next door to Michael Kutz 39 Wurtemburg and wife Dora 42 Wurtemburg
1880 Bryan, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1078; Family History Film: 1255078; Page: 645B; Enumeration District: 12; Image: 0152.
h/h 322/343 Keetz, Godlop 31 Bav-Bav-Bav laborer
Carrie 30 wife Bav-Bav-Bav
Harmon 9 son OH-Bavaria-Bavaria
William 7 son OH-Bav-Bav
Carrie 3 dau OH-Bav-Bav
1880 Bryan, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1078; Family History Film: 1255078; Page: 637A; Enumeration District: 12; Image: 0135.
h/h 135/151 Kuhn, Andrew 39 Bav-Bav-Bav laborer
Sophena 36 wife Bav-Bav-Bav
John 12 son OH-Bav-Bav
Louisa 9 dau OH-Bav-Bav
Mary 6 dau OH-Bav-Bav
William 4 son OH-Bav-Bav
Josephene 3 dau OH-Bav-Bav
Bryan Democrat, 6 Apr 1893 (loose notice in Tavern files from Bryan Public Library):
Herman Kurtz, who was found guilty of furnishing liquors to minors at the last term of court, and had given bonds to secure fine and costs to the amount of about $75, was arrested Monday morning for the reason that bondsmen had refused to longer stand responsibilities for him. He was taken to the stone yard at Toledo yesterday where he will be compelled to work out the amount of the fine and costs at sixty cents per day.
(Note that with the absence of any Herman Kurtz I am making an assumption that this Herman is really Harmon because
1. As stated, there is no other Herman that I’ve found.
2. Harmon's father is a saloon keeper in 1900.
3. Harmon is a laborer in a brewery in 1900.)
Harmon J Kurtz served in the Co E 6th Reg Ohio Infantry @age 27 in War with Spain 1898
1900 Bryan, Williams, Ohio; Roll: T623_1332; Page: 17B; Enumeration District: 111.
h/h 413/433 Kurtz, Gotliff 50 (Oct 1849) Germ-Germ-Germ to US 1869 mar 31Y saloon keeper
Carie 50 wife (Feb 1850) 5/5 ch Germ-Germ-Germ to US 1869
Harmon J 28 son (July 1871) single OH-Germ-Germ laborer in brewery
Charlie 18 son (Nov 1881) OH-Germ-Germ bar tender
Mary 12 dau (Jan 1888) OH-Germ-Germ
1900 Bryan, Williams, Ohio; Roll: T623_1332; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 112.
h/h 153/155 Kuhn, Andrew 58 (Sept 1841) mar 36Y OH-Germ-Germ teamster
Solviene 56 wife (Jan 1845) 10/5 ch Germ-Germ-Germ to US 1853
Rose 19 dau (Apr 1881) Oh-OH-Germ
Howard, Suviene A 4 granddau (Aug 1895) OH-OH-OH
On 30 May 1902 Harmon Kurtz married Rose D Kuhn.
On 7 Aug 1902 he applied for a pension based on his military service.
cOct 1904 Rose Kuhn Kurtz was issued a divorce from Harmon J Kurtz.
Sometime after the divorce Rose married William Phillips and they had a son, William Adrian Phillips, born on 22 June 1907. William Phillips, born 10 Aug 1878 in Blakeslee, Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH, was the son of Michael and Elizabeth Friedel Phillips.
It appears that William Phillips was married previously to Catherine Strup c1898, but there must have been a divorce action brewing as in 1900 she is not living with him (Slusser family in Bryan, OH, as a servant with her little son, William Henry Phillips) and by 1910 she has married Albert Jones and lived in Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH.
1880 Springfield, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1078; Family History Film: 1255078; Page: 680A; Enumeration District: 13; Image: 0221.
h/h 319/340 Phillipps, Michael 27 OH-Germ-Germ laborer
Elizabeth 21 OH-Germ-Germ
John 4 OH-OH-OH
William 1 OH-OH-OH
1910 Pulaski, Williams, Ohio; Roll: T624_1241; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0130; Image: 942; FHL Number: 1375254.
315 North Enterprise St
h/h 206/204 Kuhn, Andrew 69 mar 46Y Oh-Germ-Germ day laborer
Silvena 66 wife 10/5 ch Germ-Germ-Germ
Phillips, Rose D 29 dau mar 1x OH-OH-Germ mar 9Y 1/1ch
Adrian P 3 grandson OH-OH-OH………William Adrian Phillips born 22 June 1907 Ashtabula, Ashtabula Co, OH; s/o William Phillips and Rose Kuhn
Birch 26 son-in-law single?? OH-OH-OH laborer in condensary
1920 Toledo Ward 6, Lucas, Ohio; Roll: T625_1408; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 79; Image: 1101.
520 Ontario St
h/h 141/141 Kurty, Harmon J 48 OH-Germ-Germ married roomer, ironworker in shipyard (no wife listed)
1920 Taylor, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: T625_821; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 786; Image: 751.
h/h 90/94 Phillips, William 41 OH-OH-OH ticket agent for steam railroad
Rose 38 wife OH-OH-OH
Adrian 12 son OH-OH-OH
Denver 8 son OH-OH-OH
Ned 5 son OH-OH-OH
Max 2 3/12 son OH-OH-OH
1930 Perkins, Erie, Ohio; Roll: 1791; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 13; Image: 246.0.
Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Home
h/h Kurtz, Harmon 58 widower Oh-unk no occup
Harmon J Kurtz died on 20 June 1944 in Sandusky, Erie Co, OH
1930 Bryan, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1891; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 15; Image: 261.0.
315 Enterprise St
h/h 144/156 Phillips, William 50 mar@29Y OH-OH-OH tower man for rr
Rose 48 wife mar@24Y OH-OH-Germ
Denver 19 son OH-OH-OH
Charles 16 son OH-OH-OH
Max 12 son OH-OH-OH
Jack 8 son MI-OH-OH
Marian 7 dau MI-OH-OH
Rose D Kuhn Phillips died on 25 Apr 1958 in Bryan, Pulaski Twp, Williams Co, OH
