“Deserted and Abandoned”

I received the full divorce file of Martha Fast and William G. Bender from an extremely helpful Deputy County Clerk in Mercer County, Ohio and although unsurprised that the full record did not shed any light on the residency of William, I am a bit disappointed.

Martha Magnora Fast, wife of the ever elusive William was about 24 in the year 1896. She had two little children; a two year old daughter, Louella, and a four year old son, Jesse Preston (my great grandfather). This was also the year that her husband of six years, William G. Bender, vanished seemingly without a trace. He left his wife and children and failed to provide necessities such as food, clothing, and a home. Martha waited four long years before filing for divorce.

By the time Martha started trying to divorce her husband, she was just five days past her 28 birthday. She now had an eight year old son and a six year old daughter, they were all living in the home of her parents. Because she could not find her husband even after a diligent search and inquiring his whereabouts, she turned to a publication of her intent to divorce William in an attempt to notify him. The publication ran every Thursday for six weeks beginning on August 2nd 1900 in The Celina Democrat, ending on September 6th, 1900. On September 26th, 1900 the final paper was filed and the divorce, along with custody of the children was granted to Martha.

Although I haven’t succeeded in my ultimate goal of locating William Bender, it is amazing to know how brave Martha must have been during all of this. I have to wonder why she waited four years, maybe it was the stigma that came with being a divorcée back then, or maybe she wanted him to come home to her.

Still Searching

It has been almost two and a half years since I’ve posted about my elusive 2x great grandfather, William G. Bender, my most contemporary brick wall. What makes it so hard to find him is that I cannot seem to find any census records on him. I have managed to find his marriage record placing him in Mercer County in November 1890.

And today I am posting this because I received this lovely divorce record in my email inbox this morning, dated September 26, 1900 in Mercer. In June 1900, when the census was taken, Martha Bender listed as married but was living with her children in her parent’s home (Jacob Ginter Fast and Sarah) in Dublin, Mercer, Ohio. I was hoping this would tell me where William went, but all it’s told me is what I already knew: that he left.

There are two William Benders living in Mercer County, Ohio in 1870, one was the son of Hannah Amanda Murlin and Jonathan Bender, he moved from Center Twp. to Iowa by 1880 and married Melissa Ella Raw there in 1888. The other William Bender was the son of Clementina Lovina and Henry Bender, Henry died prior to 1880 and in the 1880 Census it’s just Lovina and daughter Eliza living with a farm laborer Lovina would later marry. Because Lovina had such a large farm I would assume that her now 15 year old son would be living with her if alive, but William is missing by 1880 and I presume he is dead.

Hopefully I am one step closer in locating William and his family…