Divorce Papers

I recently got copies of the divorce papers from Sarah "Sadie" and Otis Westcott's divorce in 1884 from Hennepin County. I had originally requested them in August, and it took a while to track down the originals (the microfilm copies were not legible).

Some highlights:

Sadie and Otis H Westcott were married June 1, 1868 or 1869 (the divorce papers say 1868) in Minneapolis. They had four children, Corah May, Horace H, Agnes E and Paul. Paul was born in October 1879 and was 7 months old when the 1880 census was taken in June, 1880. Otis is listed as living with the family in that census. He was an iron moulder.

On June 7, 1881 (I think - it looks like the original date written was 1881 and someone tried to alter it to say 1879, but that makes no sense), Otis, "disregarding his marital vows and obligations, unmindful of his duty and without any excuse or reason therefor from this plaintiff [Sadie], but without her knowledge or consent, wilfully and causelessly deserted and abandoned this plaintiff and has in like manner remained away from plaintiff ever since that time."

Sadie filed for a divorce in November of 1883. The sheriff could not find Otis to serve the papers on him and so a notice was published (as required by law) in the newspaper for six consecutive weeks (The Mississippi Valley Lumberman and Manufacturer weekly paper). Eventually a divorce was granted, and full custody of the four minor children was awarded to Sadie in May of 1884.

So what happened to Otis?

Well, he is listed in several directories:

Los Angeles, California City Directories, 1888-90

Name: Otis H. Wescott
Location 2: 146 Ann
Business Name: Llewellyn Bros.
Occupation: molder
Year: 1888
City: Los Angeles
State: CA

San Francisco, California Directories, 1889-91

Name: Otis H. Wescott
Location 2: r. 1002 1/2 Dolores
Business Name: Fulton Iron Works
Occupation: foreman molder
Year: 1890
City: San Francisco
State: CA

Minneapolis, Minnesota Directories, 1889-91

Name: Otis Wescott
Location 2: b 47th avenue n and Queen avenue
Business Name: Mpls Foundry Co
Occupation: molder
Year: 1890, 1891
City: Minneapolis
State: MN

Incidentally, his son Horace was also listed in the Minneapolis directory:
Minneapolis, Minnesota Directories, 1889-91

Name: Horace H Wescott
Location 2: b 520 Cedar avenue
Occupation: tinner
Year: 1890, 1891
City: Minneapolis
State: MN

NOTE: the last name seems to have been spelled either Wescott or Westcott. It appears as Westcott in the divorce papers, but Wescott in the census records.

Apparently he went to California for a time, but must have returned to Minneapolis (assuming this is the same man - I think it is).

What is really interesting, though, is that I think he is listed in the 1900 census living in Los Angeles with his wife of 3 years, SARAH Westcott and their 2 year old daughter Azalia, who was born in December 1898. His occupation - moulder at an iron works.

In the 1910 census, his wife and daughter are living at 3721 Woodlawn Avenue in Los Angeles. Sadie (as she is now called) has no occupation and is a widow. Azalia is 12. In 1920, they are living at the same address. Sadie is a labeler at a drug company and Azalia is a teacher.

By 1930 Azalia has married a man named Harold Broad. He is a bookbinder and she is a teacher. They are living with Sadie (who incidentally was born in Maine, in 1866... Otis' first wife Sarah "Sadie" was born in Maine, too).

This Sadie died in 1950 and is listed in the California Death Index 1940 - 1997 on-line at Ancestry.com.

So - if this is our man, he was dead by 1910. I have found no record of his death yet. I find it very interesting that he married two women named Sarah, later called Sadie, both born in Maine.

I have not been able to find Otis in any census records for 1860 - unless perhaps he is the son of James and Patience Wescott. They are in the 1860 census living in Janesville, Wisconsin and they had a son named Hosea H who was born in Connecticut at the right time as our Otis. James's occupation is "moulder."

The name Otis H Westcott is almost unique. There are only two other contemporary men with that name, one in Milwaukee and the other in Prescott, Minnesota, and neither of them could be our Otis. That's one of the reasons that I believe the man in the directories and in the 1900 census is the right guy.

I have located some living relatives of Azalia and Harold Broad and I will try to contact them to see if they might know anything. One of them is a 90 year-old nephew of theirs.