Looking for my grandfather(s)! Tradition in the family says my grandmother - Bessie Edith Robinson (who changed her name illegally to Elizabeth) married Leslie Ray Wehrle on June 30, 1911 in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa. They left immediately for Sappington, Montana where Leslie was a Station Agent/Telegrapher for the railroad. To this union were born seven children, Catherine Lena in 1912, Mary Isabell in 1913, John Leslie 1915, Esther Wehrle 1916 (all in Montana; Virginia Lee in Pennington, Virginia in 1918; Francis Leonard and Elbert Dana born in Des Moines, Iowa, 1920 and 1925 respectively. Summer of 1997 at the State Genealogy Library we found microfilm of grandmother's marriage certificate/license. She married on June 30, 1911 in Des Moines, Polk Co, Iowa one Orville R. May, who was a telegrapher, listing his home as Sappington, MT. (he listed parents as William and Catherine) (Leslie's parents were John Wehrle and Mary Catherine Jones) All of the children's birth certificates list Leslie Wehrle as father - they were all delayed birth certificates with information given from my grandmother. However, researchers in Montana found one the slipped through the crack in Deere Lodge is listed with the County a physician's report: 2/18/1915 Baby Boy born to Bessie Robinson and O.R. May. Their residence was a town called Race Track. Railroad Retirement lists Leslie Worley as last working for the railroad in 1903. Retirement records on Orville R. May list him taking retirement after 1950, also shows he resided with his parents in Bedford, Iowa and was a telegrapher, station agent. He worked in various areas in Iowa. Orville May had parents in Bedford who went with him to Santa Cruz, CA. He also had a wife he married in 1926 in Nevada. Orville and his family are buried in Santa Cruz - we have his obituary. Leslie on the other hand abandon his family in about 1920 - we think before the birth of Frances Leonard Wehrle. My mother says grandma was widowed in 1924 - some man dressed in black business suit came to the house and told her that Leslie had died by his own hand (hanging) in Hilt, California. (My mother was very young and that is how she remembers it.) We have contacted California Records, Siskyou (sp) Co., Hilt, etc. and have not been able to find a death certificate on Leslie Ray Wehrle. We have Leslie's mother's Bible and one belonging to his grandmother. He did exist at one time. The family lived in Lextington Ky (my grandmother Bessie Edith was close to Leslie's mother Mary Catherine (Molly) and that is the only proof we have that Leslie existed. Grandma was declared a widow in 1927 and collected widows benefits from the county for six children. He has managed to avoid census takers through the years. When we told our mother her first comment was: "We always knew he was a bigamist". We have talked to mom, her brother and sisters and they cannot shed any light on what happened to Leslie. We have a lot of scenarios: 1) It was a little early for the Witness Protection Program. 2) He was a known felon. 3) Grandma did him in. 4) She married Orville and was abandon in Montana and either married or lived with Leslie Wehrle. We have no where else to go in this search. Can anyone help. Leslie has left no paper trail that we have been able to find. He was born January 12, 1886 in Lexington, Fayette Co, KY. Can anyone help. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Marilyn Collins.