INELKHAR-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 58 Today's Topics: #1 [INELKHAR-L] Divorce Records abt 1 ["Gail Brown" ] Administrivia: To unsubscribe from INELKHAR-D, send a message to INELKHAR-D-request@rootsweb.com that contains in the body of the message the command unsubscribe and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 18:15:27 -0500 From: "Gail Brown" To: INELKHAR-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <000a01beb917$4a23d040$016ad9d0@thebrowns> Subject: [INELKHAR-L] Divorce Records abt 1870? Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'm new to this list and am researching SMOKE, WRIGHT, and TURNOCK in Elkhart. I have a marriage for Calista A. Steeples SMOKE, to Henry A. WRIGHT, 30 June 1870, in Elkhart. She was previously married to Benjamin W. SMOKE, who it was thought had died between 1865 and 1870. However, I have recently found his Civil War Pension Files at NARA in D.C., and they indicate he was alive, at least until 1901. Apparently he never had his pension application approved and moved around the country, from Elkhart, to Cleveland, and finally to North Carolina, in an attempt to find witnesses to testify in his behalf. Since he didn't die, as I had thought, Calista must have divorced him before her 1870 marriage to Mr. WRIGHT - at least I hope she did. Would divorce records for this time period be available from the Elkhart County Courthouse? I have done very little research in IN and could surely use some helpful tips. Benjamin was a tailor, and Calista was a seamstress, and I'm also curious what would have brought them from their home in Elmira, NY, to Elkhart, IN between 1865 and 1870. Calista and Benjamin had two children, Charles, b. abt 1857 NY, and Sarah Marguerite, b. 6 Oct 1856 NY. I don't know what happened to Charles, but Sarah married Enoch Hill TURNOCK, 25 Aug 1880, in Elkhart. The marriage record shows her surname as 'WRIGHT', so she must have adopted her step-father's name. It's possible that her brother Charles also adopted 'WRIGHT' as his surname. Sarah and Enoch had two children in Elkhart - Harry Clarence, b. abt 1881, and Winifred Sarah, b. 29 Jan 1883. Sarah Marguerite died from lockjaw after stepping on a nail, 1 June 1884. Winifred Sarah was my grandmother. Thanks, Gail