GIGGLE - my grandmother talked about Grass Widows often..... -----Original Message----- >From: Susan Slade Grossl <[email protected]> >Sent: Apr 24, 2012 4:43 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [NORCAL] George Thomas b. 1887 California > >A "grass widow" is someone who's husband has taken off and they have no idea >where he is. I have also seen "grass widowers" mentioned. NO formal divorce >just POOF gone. And many times they do remarry and are happy in the second >marriage. > >Susan >Boise, Idaho, USA > >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On >Behalf Of Mildred Starr >Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 1:11 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [NORCAL] George Thomas b. 1887 California > >The term 'grass widow' refers to a divorcee. So in fact they may not have >been lying at all. They just left out the adjective. > >_______________________________ >From: Margaret Toole <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Cc: [email protected] >Sent: Tue, April 24, 2012 10:59:46 AM >Subject: Re: [NORCAL] George Thomas b. 1887 California > >> The second issue is one I have seen on several occasions in the late >> 19th >> and early 20th centuries. The heads of household, women in particular, >> would lie to a census taker that they were widowed when in fact they >> were >> divorced to avoid the stigma of divorce and the gossip of neighbors. >> Census >> takers were not always discrete. How many of you have seen this in >> your own >> research? >> >> Again, many thanks >> >> Paul >> >Hi Paul. My husbands ggrandmother said she had been "married" a second >time to cover up the fact that she had an illegitimate daughter. Her >husband died of the flu in 1918 and in 1920 she was a housekeeper for >two men. She had a daughter shortly thereafter. By 1930 she was no >longer Jennie COLLINS but Jennie BARNES. I have found no sign of Mr. >BARNES. > >Margaret > > > > >----------------------------------------- >NORCAL ARCHIVES: >http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ >Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. >Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. >----------------------------------------- >To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to [email protected] >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message