By Pamela Pattison Lash
Laura (St John) Fackler v Marquis Fackler (Journal 14 p3 - 15 Nov 1886; Roll 44 case number 1654 - 26 Jul 1886)
The couple was married on 27 June 1879. They had an infant and they cohabited as husband and wife. He is active and energetic as a businessman and is capable of earning large sums of money but he did not provide for his daughter. She charged that he was guilty of gross neglect and willfully absent for three years and more, plus bigamy. Laura received $600 in alimony as part of the divorce settlement.
The divorce was declared in The Bryan Democrat, 18 Nov 1886, p5 under Frackler v Frackler.
From the Richland Shield and Banner, 31 July 1886
Mrs. Laura Fackler, of Bryan, Williams County, has commenced suit for divorce from her husband, Marcus Fackler, who lives in Franklin Township, this county. This will probably be a surprising bit of news to the friends and neighbors of Mr. Fackler, owing to the fact that his is now living with another woman, formerly Miss Sarah Powell, whom he married since leaving his first wife. The plaintiff alleges that Marcus had been guilty of gross neglect of duty, adultery, desertion and willful absence for more than three years. She says they were married at Hillsdale, Michigan, June 27, 1879, and have one child, now aged five years. Mrs. Fackler asks also to be granted reasonable alimony. If her statement be true, her husband has been guilty of bigamy, which is a penitentiary offense.
The divorce proceedings, the newspaper account, and the clues within gave me some items to check. Here’s what I found:
Marquis Q Fackler (10 Mar 1861 Richland Co, OH – 18 Sept 1937 Wright Twp, Hillsdale Co, MI; buried in Walnut Grove Cem, Millcreek Twp, Williams Co, OH) was the son of Daniel Henry Fackler and Lydia Ann Cole.
M1 – Laura St John, 27 June 1879, Hillsdale Co, MI; divorced Nov 1886
M2 – Sarah J Powell, 29 July 1882, Richland Co, OH
M3 – Mary A Barkdoll, 3 Jan1893, Adrian, Lenawee Co, MI
M4 – Ella Emma Kitz Barrick, 4 June 1917, Ashland Co, OH
Laura St. John Fackler Davis (26 Oct 1861 Richland Co, OH – 18 Oct 1909, Bridgewater Twp, Williams Co, OH @47Y 11M 22D; buried at Nettle Lake Cem, NW Twp, Williams Co, OH) was the daughter of Burr St John and Hetty Fesler.
Laura St John married Lyman B. Davis on 5 Mar 1887 in Amboy Twp, Hillsdale Co, MI by HC Kintigh; both were residents of NW Twp and he was 27 from NY but her age was unknown, aside from birthplace of Richland Co, OH. Their witnesses were Curtis Metzer and Crain D Rice, both of Amboy Twp, Hillsdale Co, MI.
Lyman B. Davis (1860 from tombstone but 1900 census says July 1861- 9 March 1919, Amboy Twp, Hillsdale Co, MI; buried at Nettle Lake Cem, NW Twp, Williams Co, OH) was the son of Hiram Davis and Rachel Jane Rogers.
This is the timeline I’ve made for the principals:
Hillsdale Co, MI Marriages, V3 p338 - On 17 June 1879 in South Wright Twp, Hillsdale Co, MI, Marquis Fuckler married Laura St. John by Volney Reynolds, JP. (I looked at the original book and it does say Fuckler). Both were 19 years old, both residents of Williams Co, OH, and both born in Richland Co, OH. Witnesses were RW and Hattie Reynolds of Wright, MI. Marquis was listed as farmer.
1870 Madison, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M593_1282; Page: 112A; Image: 227; Family History Library Film: 552781.
h/h 149/152 St John, Burr 34 OH farmer
Hetta 30 OH
Laura 9 OH
Elmira 7 OH
Edwin 4 O
Lucinda 2 OH
Note Burr St John is living next door to his future second wife, Athelinda Bollinger
Marcus Fackler and Laura St John are married on 17 June 1879 in Hillsdale Co, MI
1880 Madison, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1077; Family History Film: 1255077; Page: 466B; Enumeration District: 003; Image: 0567.
h/h 57/56 Fackler, Marcus 21 OH-OH-OH laborer
Laura wife 20 OH-OH-OH
According to Laura St John Fackler’s divorce proceedings, the couple has a daughter born c1881 but I have not found any birth records in Williams Co, OH for this; sometime after the birth, Marcus left Laura and their child and moved back to Richland Co, OH c1881-1882.
Richland Co, OH Marriages – On 29 July 1882 Marquis Fackler married Sadie Jane Powell, by J S Broadwell, Minister of Gospel, Mansfield, Richland Co, OH
Bellville Star (Richland Co, OH), 17 August 1882, there is a marriage notice for Marcus Fackler and Sarah Jane Powell.
Laura St John Fackler institutes her divorce 26 July 1886 to 18 November 1886, when she is free of Marquis. Whether Marquis was brought to trial on charges of bigamy has not yet been established so his history from 1886-1893 is currently unknown.
Laura Fackler married Lyman Davis on 5 Mar 1887 so her motive in wishing a divorce may have something to do with wanting to remarry.
On 4 Jan 1893 Marquis Fackler married Mary A Barkdoll in Lenawee Co, MI by James M Kerridge, Methodist minister with Emmerwilda Kerridge and Margaret Allen as witnesses; both were residents of Adrian, MI; he was a machinist and both stated they had never been married before. His parents were DH Fackler and Lydia Cole; her parentage was not stated.
1900 Mansfield Ward 8, Richland, Ohio; Roll: 1316; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 125; FHL microfilm: 1241316.
h/h 80/90 Fackler, Marquis 40 (Mar 1860) OH-*-* married 7Y clerk in dry goods store
Mary wife 39 (Apr 1861) 0/0 ch OH-MD-Germ
Possibly 1910 Adrian Ward 4, Lenawee, Michigan; Roll: T624_660; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0048; Image: 818; FHL microfilm: 1374673.
As Martin Q Fackler 48 OH-OH-OH machinist for railroad with wife Mary 48 OH-MD-MD and adopted daughter Marie L 13; he was married 2x and 20Y in this marriage
Marquis Fackler married Ella Barrick on 4 June 1917 in Ashland Co, OH
.
1920 Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan; Roll: T625_780; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 59; Image: 940.
Marquis J Fackler 57 OH-OH-OH carpenter for railroad and wife Ella 51 OH-PA-PA with several Barrick children
1930 Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan
Marquis Fackler 68 OH-OH-OH no occup mar @22Y of age with wife Ella married at 18Y of age (not to each other then) with several Barrick children