Aaron Culbertson v Rebecca Hubley Culbertson ("Bryan Democrat", 21 May 1863; Roll 16 case number 69 - Nov 1863)
By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 2 December 2021)
The following is an update on a 2010 divorce posting. There’s more to this story such as two more wives for Aaron and a criminal case involving wife #2.
The couple was married in Richland Co, OH on 7 Aug 1853 (Marriage V6 p175). Aaron, born on 25 Feb 1835 in OH, was the son of John and Anna Miley Culbertson, Jr. In the 1850 Blooming Grove, Richland Co, OH Federal Census as Aaron 18 OH thresher with his mother Anna 35 and siblings. Rebecca, born on 26 Apr 1833 in Marietta, Lancaster Co, PA, was the daughter of Henry and Catherine Hubley. In the 1850 Weller Twp, Richland Co, OH federal census p275, the Hubley family appeared as Henry 59 PA, Catharine 59 PA, Abraham 30 PA deaf and dumb, Henry 21 PA, Susan 19 PA, and Rebecca 17 PA. By the 1860 federal census p340, the Henry Hubley family lived in Olivesburg, Butler Twp, Richland Co, OH. Aaron served in the Civil War as a private in the Co H 47th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and marched with General to the sea.
According to Aaron who wanted a divorce the couple had three children, Albert (1), Arabella (3), and Sarah Ann (7). He stated that on 15 Feb 1856 Rebecca committed adultery with Stephen Wisner, a NW Twp neighbor. Aaron had only recently (Feb 1861) learned of her adultery; Rebecca left him and returned to Richland Co. He wanted custody of the children. Rebecca's brother, Henry Hubley, gave a deposition to the court. Rebecca lived with him in Blooming Grove Twp, Richland Co, OH; she said Aaron had disgraced her but that he wanted her to return to Wms Co and live as man and wife. Rebecca denied the adultery charge. The couple must have settled their differences as Aaron dropped the suit. They were enumerated in the 1870 NW Twp, Wms Co federal census, p20, as Aaron 35 OH, Rebecca 37 PA, Sarah or Scinda 16 OH, Arabelle 12 OH, Albert 10 OH, and Tecumseh S. 2/12 (b 26 Mar 1870, Birth V 1 p3; died 9 July 1871 @ 1Y 3M 13D, buried in the Nettle Lake Cemetery, NW Twp). They later had a daughter Amanda A., b 11 Nov 1872 (Birth V 1 p45).
The Culbertsons moved by 1875 and were found in the 1880 Buchanan Twp, Jefferson Co, IA federal census p364, as Aaron 45 OH, Rebecca 47 PA, Sarah A 26 OH, Albert 19 OH, Amanda 7 OH, and Hope G 5 IA. Oldest daughter Sarah or Sadie Culbertson married Mahlon P. Baldwin on 1 Oct 1885 in Crydon, Wayne Co, IA. Rebecca, having not eaten for 30 days, died on 6 July 1882 and was buried in the Upper Richwoods Cemetery.
Aaron next married Mary L Baldwin Anderson (born 26 March 1839 in Van Buren Co, IA), on 19 September 1883 in Jefferson Co, IA. Mary was the daughter of Stacy and Elizabeth Jones Baldwin, the widow of Hezekiah Anderson and the mother of Bert Anderson. Aaron’s daughter Hope later married her new step-mother’s son, Bert.
I discovered a criminal story in the Fairfield Ledger (Fairfield, IA), 12 October 1888 p3 c3-4 and subsequent issues plus an online article on the State of Iowa v Lawson J Baldwin criminal court case. It seems that Mary Culbertson had a Civil War veteran brother, Lawson Jones Baldwin, who got a 15 year-old girl pregnant. Her name was Mattie Rodabaugh. The young girl went to the home of Aaron and Mary Culbertson on 28 June 1885 where she was drugged and violated by instruments meant to cause an abortion. She was later taken to her father’s home on July 2 and Mattie died there on July 8. Mary Culbertson and a Dr Milikin were initially charged along with Lawson Baldwin with second degree murder but the charges were later dropped on Mary and the doctor. Lawson Baldwin stood trial and was found guilty of second degree murder by a jury of his peers, even though he pled not guilty. Mattie’s dying declarations were known to the court such as “the terrible instruments” and “they abused me horribly”; however these statements were later thrown out. After a failed appeal, Lawson was sentenced to ten years of hard labor on 12 October 1888 and he was taken to Ft Madison, IA. He was 42 years old at the time. Lawson served his sentence and later died in Wapello Co, IA on 6 January 1912. Mary Baldwin Culbertson died in Wapello Co, IA on 13 September 1898; she was buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
Aaron, a grocery man, next married Emma Decker, on 8 October 1899 in Wapello Co, IA. In the 1900 Ottumwa, Wapello Co, IA federal census p169, the Culbertsons were listed as Aaron Feb 1835 (65) OH, wife Emma Jan 1860 (40) IA no children, and brother-in-law, John Decker, Mar 1858 (42) IA. This family lived on North Sheridan Avenue. Aaron died on 21 Nov 1923 in Wapello Co, IA. His obit and death certificate stated that he was senile, a retired grocery man, and a Civil War veteran; he was buried in the Shaull Cemetery. Emma died on 27 February 1926 and was buried beside Aaron in the Shaull Cemetery.
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