On This Day in Family History - January 22

 Otho Horace Ford married Maude Reiter 22 January 1924

Photo: Otho Horace Ford

I don't have a picture of Maude Reiter. Maude was Horace's third wife. He had four wives altogether: (1) Edith Abbie Stuller, (2) Laura Johnsen, (3) Maude Reiter, and (4) Anna Olsen. His first three marriages ended in divorce. His fourth wife is mentioned in his obituary, so I assume they were still married when he died. They had only been married about a year.

Photo: Edith Abbie Stuller

Horace and Edith had one child, a son -- Otho Simeon. As far as I know he didn't have any children with any of his other wives. Edith never had any more children, either. 

Here is what Horace's granddaughter (Della) wrote about his wives -- 

    This is getting to be a dilemma. I was glad to have the dates from Horace's draft card. It's possible he gave wrong information. He was quite a trick! I'm thankful to God that Charles and Effie brought Dad up... 

    I can straighten out the wife sequence. Edith was first. I think she was 16 when they married... Dad was small when harles and Effie took him in. I have pictures of him on the tricycle when he couldn't have been more than four. I always understood he was a very young child when he was left because his crying disturbed the neighbors. No more details on this.

    Laura was the second one. Dad remembers staying with them a short while when he was still quite young. He never talked like there were any other children. Laura liked children and was very good to him. He remembers her sewing a button on his coat. He said this ended abruptly and he was returned to his grandparents. No details.    

    Maude was the tired. She also was quite a trick. She didn't like any of us if you judge by her actions. They made one trip to Montana. I must have been in about the 7th grade.

    Anna was the fourth. I never met her. Horace met her in the Rest Home. Mom and Dad met her and liked her. I remember Mom getting Christmas boxes for her. I'm not sure if one of them died or that was a divorce. I remember Mom saying Horace was abusive of her. I shouldn't even say anything because I have nothing to back that up. 

[This was an email from Della to my mother when she was working on the family history. There's a story behind some of her comments: Otho Horace Ford married Edith Abbie Stuller 01 January 1908. According to the records I have, the marriage didn't take place until several months after their baby (Otho Simeon) was born. Edith was 17 years old.]

 

Della's notes:

    Otho Simeon was abandoned in a hotel room in Chicago when he was a baby. The story goes that Otho Horace and his wife Edith Stuller both just walked out of the hotel and left this baby in the room. A neighbor heard him crying and crying and finally went to the main desk to report it. Hotel management went into the room and found him abandoned. When they checked the records Effie and Charlie Ford, his grandparents, were listed as people to notify in case of emergency. They called them and they immediately went to pick him up. 

    Grandpa Charles adopted him legally so that Otho Horace couldn't claim him again. The baby (Otho Simeon) had been underfed and lacked milk to build calcium, so his legs were weak and bowed. Charlie bought a tricycle, which we understood they really couldn't afford, to help strengthen his legs. Otho Simeon continued to live with Charles and Effie until he was grown.

Photo: Charles Ford (left) and his wife Effie (right), Otho Simeon is standing between them. 

Back: Cleo Ford and Otho Horace Ford. 

Otho Simeon Ford married Fiina Herranen, and their daughter Della is the one who wrote the notes above.