Jacob had two daughters. His oldest daughter married and divorced five times. His youngest daughter became a widow and remarried three years later when she was 52 years old.
Nettie Mae Wakenight:
Nettie was born on 18 NOV 1911 in Pickrell, Gage County, Nebraska. She died on 5 MAY 1981 in Imperial County, California.
As I was building Nettie’s profile on Ancestry.com, I discovered that she had been married and divorced five times.
Nettie’s Marriages:
First Marriage:
Nettie married Frederick Andrew Peterson on 25 APR 1929 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa.
In 1930, they lived in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. Omaha is located across the Missouri River from Council Bluffs.
By 1935, Nettie and Frederick must have divorced. The 1940 US census had a question that asked:
“In what place did this person live on April 1, 1935?
Nettie answered Houston, Harris County, Texas. Frederick answered Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.
Second Marriage:
Nettie married Cecil Colbert Smith on 23 NOV 1936 in Yuma County, Arizona.
Nettie used her maiden name of Wakenight on the marriage record. This indicates that Nettie and Frederick divorced and she reclaimed her maiden name.
Third Marriage:
The 1940 US census shows that Nettie had married a man named Ralph Benjamin Landers. They lived in Houston, Harris County, Texas, not far from Nettie’s mother, Margaret Ida (Weaver) Kremlick.
Nettie and Ralph must have divorced shortly after the census was enumerated. In 1941, Ralph had married another woman.
Fourth Marriage:
Nettie married Robert Leroy Kasson on 14 AUG 1942 in Houston, Harris County, Texas.
Here, again, Nettie used her maiden name of Wakenight.
I am not sure how long Nettie and Ralph were married. By 1954, Robert had married another woman.
Fifth Marriage:
A 1957 directory listing shows that Nettie married a man named William Joseph Couchman. They lived in Brawley, Imperial County, California.
I am not sure if, or how long, Nettie and William were married. A directory listing for 1968 shows that they were living in Brawley, Imperial County, California.
Yet, they were buried in different cemeteries. William was interred in the Riverview Cemetery in Brawley. Some of his family members were also buried in that cemetery. Nettie was interred in the Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro. If they were still married, would she not have been buried with her husband?
Nettie’s Husbands:
Frederick Andrew Petralia/Peterson:
Frederick Andrew Petralia was born on 5 AUG 1904 in St Louis, St Louis County, Missouri. He died on 19 MAR 1976 in Laguna Beach, Orange County, California.
His 1929 marriage record indicates that he changed his surname from Petralia to Peterson. In the late 19th Century, there was an Anti-Italian movement in the United States. Racial discrimination may have led to this name change.
Frederick’s father was Bernard Aloysius Petralia. Bernard was born on 23 JUN 1880 in Missouri. He died on 22 FEB 1923 in St Louis, St Louis County, Missouri.
Frederick’s mother was Mary Elizabeth Wiese. Mary was born on 20 FEB 1884 in St Louis, St Louis County, Missouri. Mary died in 1970 in St Louis, St Louis County, Missouri.
Cecil Colbert Smith:
Cecil was born on 8 JUN 1917 in Ringling, Jefferson County, Oklahoma. He died on 7 MAY 1962 in Imperial County, California.
Cecil’s father was Rufus J Smith. He was born on 28 APR 1885 in Mississippi. He died on 29 AUG 1956 in Imperial County, California.
Cecil’s mother was Artie Leona Peacock. She was born on 5 APR 1887 in Oklahoma. She died on 21 JUN 1953 in Imperial County, California.
Ralph Benjamin Landers:
Ralph was born on 7 FEB 1920 in Oklahoma. He died on 15 JAN 1980 in Houston, Harris County, Texas.
Ralph’s father was John Frank Landers. He was born on 16 JAN 1891 in Arkansas. He died on 5 AUG 1927 in Amarillo, Potter County, Texas.
Ralph’s mother was Minnie Moody. She was born on 5 MAR 1895 in Oklahoma. She died on 5 FEB 1981 in Houston, Harris County, Texas.
Robert Leroy Kasson:
Robert was born on 12 NOV 1879 in Mill Creek Township, Wabaunsee County, Kansas. He died in 1969 in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas.
Robert’s father was Archibald Mason Kasson. He was born on 26 JUL 1835 in Gloversville, Fulton County, New York. He died in 1922 in Wilmington, Wabaunsee County, Kansas.
Robert’s mother was Elizabeth Ann Goodrich. Betsey was born in 1842 in Illinois. She died in 1928 in Wilmington, Wabaunsee County, Kansas.
William Joseph Couchman:
William was born on 13 FEB 1908 in Boonville, Cooper County, Missouri. He died on 25 JUL 1974 in Riverside County, California.
William’s father was Harry Couchman. He was born on 20 DEC 1872 in Illinois. He died on 30 MAR 1958 in Imperial County, California.
William’s mother was Mary Ann Chiehola. She was born on 8 DEC 1880 in Nebraska. She died on 8 NOV 1960 in Imperial County, California.
Notes on Nettie:
Nettie grew up in the early 20th Century when women’s rights were at the forefront of the social and political scenes. Women won the right to vote and more females were working outside the home.
Could this greater independence have led Nettie to be unsatisfied with her husbands? Or, could it have been more of a mental issue like Bipolar Disorder?
“Like all individuals, people with bipolar disorder have many good attributes, but at times, they also display less desirable qualities, such as being withdrawn, irritable, moody, and depressed.”
Whatever the cause, we know that Nettie married multiple times. But, I should note that her mother, Margaret Ida Weaver, had also married and divorced at least four times.
Could it be something genetic that passed from mother to daughter? I ask this question because Nettie’s half-sister did not have the same issues.
Marie was born on 18 JUN 1920 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. She died on 28 SEP 2005 in Norfolk, Madison County, Nebraska.
Marie married Hershel William Dickey on 15 NOV 1942 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.
Hershel William Dickey was born on 17 AUG 1903 in Verdel, Knox County, Nebraska. He died on 13 JUN 1969 in Niobrara, Knox County, Nebraska.
Hershel had previously married Ida T Raybold on 18 APR 1922 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Three known children were born to this marriage, all born in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska:
Eleanor May Dickey (1922)
Frances Patricia Dickey (1923)
William John Dickey (1925)
After Hershel died, Marie married Gary James Slechta on 14 AUG 1972 in Nebraska.
Gary James Slechta was born on24 JUN 1938 in Verdel, Knox County, Nebraska. He died on 31 MAY 2002 in Niobrara, Knox County, Nebraska.
Notes:
For more information on this part of the Wakenight family, please visit Sharon Strow’s website, “Descendants of Daniel Wakenight.”
Creating Your Family Tree
Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:
Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also an excellent source for births, marriages, and deaths.
Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.
Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.
When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.
If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.
Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.
There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!
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