Hello,   I can tell some stories about the extended family of my paternal grandparents.     These are stories about MA but there are connections to CA.   At 18 and 17,  Silas Dean LEWIS and Clarissa Adelaide KIDDER probably got on a train in Boston, MA, and .eloped. to VT.     She was probably pregnant, but they then lost 2 stillborns in a row.    They then had a daughter in 1919,  a son in 1921, and another son in 1923.     It was not a good marriage and was not a happy home, and they divorced in 1935.   That was an official divorce near Boston.    They were both living with other people at the time of the divorce.   "Sy"  was living with the twice-divorced,  Mrs. Hazel (SHAW) (McAVOUR) BEDELL, and it had only been assumed that they married.    I've never found a marriage record.     And,  I've never found a marriage record for Hazel and Charles BEDELL.      Hazel had come down from New Brunswick and had left her first husband there, and her first son.    So, she was probably not divorced from the McAVOUR man.    She had 4 children with the BEDELL man, and no divorce is known  (along with no known marriage).     In 1936 my grandfather was .living with.  Hazel and her 4 children   (they possibly didn't know about her oldest son.)   "Sy" and Hazel moved to the Springfield, MA, area and then down to CT for a few years.   Hazel died in CT ~1949,  and my grandfather moved back to the Springfield area.     In 1952 he remarried to a widow,  Mrs. Yvonne JARRY  (originally from Prov. of Quebec).    She also had 5 (adult) children.     That was an official marriage,  but, when Yvonne's family found out that "Sy" was not a twice-widowed man, there were family disagreements.  *     My grandfather died in MA in 1961, and Yvonne lived a long life.   To get back to the children of "Sy" and Clarissa,    their daughter had a first marriage during WW II and a pregnancy from that .short. marriage.   But, she also had a stillborn,  and never had more children.    I have no idea whether she divorced that first husband.    She got remarried later in life and had a step-son,  and after losing that husband, she became a recluse.    (She had been an .Army Nurse.  during the War.)    My father did not have a happy childhood, and was helped by his step-father during his teen-years.     Clarissa had remarried to Herbert FRANCIS and had 2 more children.     My parents married during WW II years, and shortly after had me, and over 20 yrs. had a total of 6.    There's was not a happy marriage, and maybe there should have been a divorce.     (enough said)       Then we get to their 2nd son, Silas "Dean" LEWIS, Jr., who also got married during 1940's, and had a son.   Theirs was not a happy marriage - mostly because of his unhappy IN-LAWS.      He tried hard to get his young son away from that family and they fought him hard.    So, he "left town" - never to be seen or heard from again.     No one know where he was.    When we got the Internet,  we found out he had died during 1990's in Phoenix, AZ, and had a wife and step-children there at the time.    I was able to contact one of the women, and she told me that my Uncle Dean had had a 30-yr. marriage in Florida.    She was not able to locate the .letter. which offered information on the FL "wife."    But, after her death, he moved to AZ and shortly after (as an older couple) he and this lady's mother "eloped" to Las Vegas.     There was never a divorce in 1950's MA,  and I have no way of finding out about a marriage in FL.   The  CA connection is that Clarissa's younger brother,  George "Sanford" KIDDER, Jr., left MA maybe in 1940's to move to Riverside, CA, and he died there in 1960's.    He had also "left town"  and we don't even know if he had any marriages in New England.    But, when he died in CA he had a wife and step-children  (they from Nova Scotia.)      And, my grandfather had a brother and a sister leave Stoneham, MA, and move to Gardena, CA, in 1920's.   Betty              (near Lowell, MA)   *Because of the Internet,  I was able to connect with the children of my grandfather's  BEDELL step-children, and we drove out to meet them.    And, I was able to contact one of the JARRY step-daughters.   As it turned out Hazel's  "hope chest" was found in Yvonne's home,  and I was able to arrange for it to be returned.   (on Lists and Boards for 10 yrs.;   now an Admin for 9 Lists and 3 Boards, including a List and Board for  CAN-USA-Migration)

OMG!!! What a tangled family you have. I would think working on a family history would be pretty much impossible and I am surprised you have been able to find out so much! Jan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ms Betty Fredericks" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 08, 2012 3:38 AM Subject: [NORCAL] Divorce or Bigamy Hello, I can tell some stories about the extended family of my paternal grandparents. These are stories about MA but there are connections to CA. At 18 and 17, Silas Dean LEWIS and Clarissa Adelaide KIDDER probably got on a train in Boston, MA, and .eloped. to VT. She was probably pregnant, but they then lost 2 stillborns in a row. They then had a daughter in 1919, a son in 1921, and another son in 1923. It was not a good marriage and was not a happy home, and they divorced in 1935. That was an official divorce near Boston. They were both living with other people at the time of the divorce. "Sy" was living with the twice-divorced, Mrs. Hazel (SHAW) (McAVOUR) BEDELL, and it had only been assumed that they married. I've never found a marriage record. And, I've never found a marriage record for Hazel and Charles BEDELL. Hazel had come down from New Brunswick and had left her first husband there, and her first son. So, she was probably not divorced from the McAVOUR man. She had 4 children with the BEDELL man, and no divorce is known (along with no known marriage). In 1936 my grandfather was .living with. Hazel and her 4 children (they possibly didn't know about her oldest son.) "Sy" and Hazel moved to the Springfield, MA, area and then down to CT for a few years. Hazel died in CT ~1949, and my grandfather moved back to the Springfield area. In 1952 he remarried to a widow, Mrs. Yvonne JARRY (originally from Prov. of Quebec). She also had 5 (adult) children. That was an official marriage, but, when Yvonne's family found out that "Sy" was not a twice-widowed man, there were family disagreements. * My grandfather died in MA in 1961, and Yvonne lived a long life. To get back to the children of "Sy" and Clarissa, their daughter had a first marriage during WW II and a pregnancy from that .short. marriage. But, she also had a stillborn, and never had more children. I have no idea whether she divorced that first husband. She got remarried later in life and had a step-son, and after losing that husband, she became a recluse. (She had been an .Army Nurse. during the War.) My father did not have a happy childhood, and was helped by his step-father during his teen-years. Clarissa had remarried to Herbert FRANCIS and had 2 more children. My parents married during WW II years, and shortly after had me, and over 20 yrs. had a total of 6. There's was not a happy marriage, and maybe there should have been a divorce. (enough said) Then we get to their 2nd son, Silas "Dean" LEWIS, Jr., who also got married during 1940's, and had a son. Theirs was not a happy marriage - mostly because of his unhappy IN-LAWS. He tried hard to get his young son away from that family and they fought him hard. So, he "left town" - never to be seen or heard from again. No one know where he was. When we got the Internet, we found out he had died during 1990's in Phoenix, AZ, and had a wife and step-children there at the time. I was able to contact one of the women, and she told me that my Uncle Dean had had a 30-yr. marriage in Florida. She was not able to locate the .letter. which offered information on the FL "wife." But, after her death, he moved to AZ and shortly after (as an older couple) he and this lady's mother "eloped" to Las Vegas. There was never a divorce in 1950's MA, and I have no way of finding out about a marriage in FL. The CA connection is that Clarissa's younger brother, George "Sanford" KIDDER, Jr., left MA maybe in 1940's to move to Riverside, CA, and he died there in 1960's. He had also "left town" and we don't even know if he had any marriages in New England. But, when he died in CA he had a wife and step-children (they from Nova Scotia.) And, my grandfather had a brother and a sister leave Stoneham, MA, and move to Gardena, CA, in 1920's. Betty (near Lowell, MA) *Because of the Internet, I was able to connect with the children of my grandfather's BEDELL step-children, and we drove out to meet them. And, I was able to contact one of the JARRY step-daughters. As it turned out Hazel's "hope chest" was found in Yvonne's home, and I was able to arrange for it to be returned. (on Lists and Boards for 10 yrs.; now an Admin for 9 Lists and 3 Boards, including a List and Board for CAN-USA-Migration) ----------------------------------------- NORCAL ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ Enter NORCAL. 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