52 Ancestors Week 24: Hard Times

 Week 24: Hard Times: So, no one told your ancestors life would be this way. Their job's a joke, their broke. Their love live's DOA. It seems like they're always stuck in second gear....At least they get by with a little help from their friends. So, how did your ancestors get through the hard times? Let's hear their stories and let's hope things turned out better for them.

Wow. Things are rough. But, not THAT rough.

      Every family has had to deal with hard times in their lives and our ancestors are no exception. The loss of a loved one is a common theme along with money issues and enough drama to fill one season of your favorite television show. Even then, the truth can often be stranger than fiction. Recently, I found out the reason why my second great-grandparents,Wilfred Felker and  Gertrude Stevens divorced and I am one hundred percent certain that it led to some hard times for their son, Austin.

Wilfred Feker on
a barrel.

    In Gertrude and Wilfred's day, "divorce" was considered a diry word. You didn't go into that situation unless you had little to no choice in the matter. To sum up, Wilfred and Getrude were married in Haverhill in 1891 and they stayed together until the late 1890s. 

    I always knew that they had divorced at some point because it was no big family secret or anything. My mother fondly remembered Austin's half-siblings in the Senter family since they visited him often and a few of them were even at my parents' wedding. So, sufficed it to say Austin was close to the Senters.

    Sadly, Austin was never really that close to the family his father had with a woman named Mary Ann Porter Pierce. Sure they visited each other every once in a while. Many of the kids ended up moving to Indiana and they lost touch with the family back in Haverhill. It happens.

    I always wanted to find out the reason why Wilfred and Gertrude divorced in the first place. I initially suspected that it had something to do with Wilfred's infidelity. While Getrude was pregnant with Austin, he got Mary Pierce pregnant as well. Oh and to make things even more interesting, the baby was born a few months after Austin. Austin was born in September 1892 and his half-brother George was born in February 1893.

    It doesn't take much to put two and two together here. You would think adultery would have been the cause for the divorce. NOPE! I submitted my request for a case file to the Essex County Superior Courthouse in Salem, Massachusetts and within a few days I had my answer. The reason why they were divorced was because SHE abandoned HIM. I sat back in my chair and just read the report three or four times to make sure I was reading it correctly given what I already knew. Really, Wilfred? REALLY?! Sigh....

Getrude and the Senters

    I can't really be mad at someone who's been dead since the 1950s but that was a bold statement to make on his part considering his actions. If he made that claim today, the DNA evidence alone would have made him look like a fool in court. I have DNA matches who descend from Wilfred and Mary. I even have contacts in Indiana who descend from the guy, too.  I really, really, really don't think Gertrude abandoned anyone. 

    Here's where the "hard times" come into play. In the early 1900s, women didn't have the legal standing they do these days. Gertrude could have said anything she wanted and the judge would have brushed her aside as if she was nothing. Though, if it were me I'd have brought out Austin and George's birth certificates and told the court to compare the two documents. The timing is a little off, isn't it? Oh and it gets better. Wilfred's listed as the father on George's birth certificate. Hear that noise? That's the sound of my head banging against the wall.

    It gets even better. Wilfred attempted to get custody of Austin and the battle was so intense that it made the papers in Boston. In the end, neither side "won". And there are no real winners in divorce, anyway.

    Gertrude did end up leaving Haverhill and settled in Farmington, New Hampshire where she married Walter Howard Senter in 1899. She made a better life for herself and got out of a bad situation After all of this, I can tell that she was a strong woman. She likely had a hard time dealing with an intense custody battle, courts not listening to a word she said and a divorce proceeding at a time when women still didn't even have the right to vote among other things. The turn of the twentieth century was not all fun and games for anybody.

Austin Felker and Henrietta Legault

    Thankfully, Austin turned out pretty well after everything that happened to his family. He likely had a hard time dealing with his parents' divorce as he was just seven years old at the time of the custody battle. Many emotions likely ran through his head and I can only imagine how he felt at the time.

His grandparents, Jeremiah Felker and Elizabeth Fellows, were definitely on hand to help their grandson in any way they could. Jeremiah's own struggles likely helped Austin deal with his parents' drama. They probably bonded over the issues since Jeremiah had issues with his father, Elias. I think I covered that drama on more than one occasion.

     The interesting thing is that you can find Austin living with his grandparents in the 1900 and 1910 census in Haverhill. There's no sign of him ever living with Wilfred despite him being clear across town. That tells you something about their relationship. Now, you could atgue that he was visiting them. That may have been the case if it was during the 1900 census. However, he was still there in 1910. That's very telling.

    I don't want to put words in anyones' mouths. But, it seems to me that Austin didn't have that good a relationship with his father. Even my grandmother Natalie didn't talk about her grandfather Wilfred that much if at all. I guess now I know why and the truth really is stranger than fiction. At least things turned out for the best for Austin, his mother and everyone else involved in this story. Did Austin get along with his Felker half-siblings? Probably. I mean they did go boating on the Merrimack River together. Although, the boat did hit a Coast Guard ship once. See the attached article.

    Perhaps after all was said and done there were no hard feelings between George and Austin. They were innocent children caught up in the nonsense brought on by Wilfred's infidely. Though, it is odd Wilfred listed George as a "step-son" in the 1900 census. After reading everything, I think I've come to the conclusion that Wilfred was likely a very hard man to deal with and Gertrude and Austin were lucky to get out of the situation. The early 1900s were clearly a hard time for Austin and Gertrude. If it was a different time, the court would have sided with her and the case would have been open and shut.

    At least now I know the truth about the situation and I can't help but feel sorry for most of the people involved. Austin had a hard time dealing with his parents' divorce and Gertrude had a hard time dealing with the courts of the early 1900s. As far as Wilfred goes, I think I see him in a new light now. It's best to remember that the people behind the names and dates were people and once you find out the truth you may or may not like what you find. Drama happens and it definitely happened way back in the day.

See ya next time.