As I continue my relentless hunt of the habitual drunkard and deadbeat dad (and my great-great grandfather) Loren A. Finch, my work right now focuses on gaining a better picture of his life with his wife, Clara, during their tumultuous marriage (1896-1909).
I've chronicled in this blog my use of census data, as well as city directories to pinpoint his location during the short 13 years of their relationship as husband and wife. Now, I'm focusing on newspapers, hoping to find mention of things he said or did during those times.
Several years ago I found the obituary of their five-week-old daughter, Dorothea, in 1901. It has been the only mention of Loren I'd found, though I hadn't looked much. Last weekend while researching in the State of Iowa Historical Society Library I came across two mentions of Loren and Clara in the Marshalltown Times-Republican:
Dec. 4, 1896, p. 7
Licensed to Wed.
Loren A. Finch, boilermaker, of Boone, aged 21, and Clara Wilson, aged 25, of Tama County.
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Dec. 8, 1896, p. 6
Loren A. Finch, a boiler maker of Boone, and Miss Clara Wilson, of Tama County, were made man and wife by Justice Ames Saturday afternoon.
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A very simple, straightforward announcement to the start of a very complicated marriage.
Each clue is a step closer. The search continues...
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