On Jun 7, 10:57�am, [email protected] wrote: > On Jun 7, 2:49 am, LRESA <[email protected]> wrote: > > > My grandfather's brother, Thomas Luther Lester, abandoned his wife and > > infant daughter in 1908 in Richmond, VA . His wife Sadie was granted a > > divorce and custody on grounds of desertion in 1911. No one ever heard > > from Thomas again- not even my grandpa. I can't find him on 1910, 1920 > > or 1930 censuses. He was in the age group to register for WW1 draft > > but he's not there either. > > Any other suggestions on how to track down an early 20th ancestor > > would be appreciated. Thanks to all. > > There is some meaning in the words "abandoned his wife and infant > daughter." �How do you know this is what happened? �Do you actually > know more than that he simply disappeared? �Do you have any reason to > even believe he was alive after 1908? �What was his occupation? �Did > he travel to other towns where he might have died unidentified? �Or > maybe his wife killed him and buried him in the basement. I read the Chancery Court case filed in Richmond Circuit court. Thomas never appeared tin court to defend himself, so Sadie was awarded custody of her daughter and granted a divorce on grounds of "desertion and abandonment."