Finding Hennepin, MN divorce records, 1889

[Canadian Goose]

Hello,
Have 2 newspaper clippings from the St. Paul Globe, Apr. 1889 regarding a messy divorce.  Have been unable to find the outcome. The father died in Minneapolis 1891, mother went on to remarry (cannot find that either) and is found living in WY. They had 3 children that are found in later years.  Appears the mother took the oldest with her. Searching through MN state sites it requests a case #, which I don't have. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  TIA.

[knort33]

Please explain what you mean when you say that you want to know the "outcome".  If you are asking whether the divorce was granted, then yes, it was granted.  His 1891 obituary mentions that "the divorce was granted a few years ago", which could mean in 1889 or 1890.

The website for the county courthouse indicates that some records have been retained from as far back as 1864 on microfilm records or on microfiche, so there is a strong probability that they may have the case you are interested in.

If you are interested in ordering documents from the divorce records case file from the Family Court at Hennepin County District Court, you do not necessarily need to know the case number, since the clerk will look it up for you.  Their website ordering form does not mention what the search fee is, if there is such a fee, but it does require prepayment in advance for any copies you are interested in ordering.  You can call the phone number shown on the form for more information.  Here is a weblink to a form you can print:

http://www.mncourts.gov/mncourtsgov/media/fourth_district/documents/forms/Document_Copy_Request_Form.pdf

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[Canadian Goose]

Thank you for the link to the request for documents. The one page I ended up on asks for a case #.
My question about the outcome was related to the children. The Globe article says that Alexander would be induced to give up the children. Alexander’s obit in Canada says the children will be raised by his brother, Thomas, in Canada. Oldest child, Robert appears to have gone with his mother. Middle child, my grandmother, Margaret, possibly in Canada in 1901. Youngest girl Edith, doesn’t appear anywhere until 1910 with her mother in WY but using the surname Roberts. She reverts to Houston in 1920.  On subsequent census the mother either lists 1 or two living children, rather than 3.  A family picture c. 1911 (I believe taken in WY) has all 3 children and spouses, but not the mother, who was still alive. If the divorce decree granted custody (if they did that back then) it may give me an idea where the daughters were. Have researched both parent’s families in Canada and they weren’t here with relatives. Hoping this document may answer some questions.

[knort33]

December 29, 2019


I found some additional information on a family tree that I thought you would be interested in:

EDITH HOUSTON (born 1888)

(First Husband) was C. D. Clark--she married him on July 16, 1910 in Coeur d'Alene Idaho (Kootenai County ID)

(Second Husband) was Ernest Daniel Sears (born 4/12/1880--died ?) who she married on June 23, 1924 in Thermopolis, Wyoming (Hot Springs County WY)

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Martha George (born 1883 County Cavan, Ireland) died January 17, 1926 in Thermopolis, WY (Hot Springs County WY)

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Robert John Houston (born August 27, 1879 in Lanark, Ontario, Canada
(died February 3, 1944 in Thermopolis, WY)
He married Estella Thomas (born --May 27, 1878--died March 27, 1962

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Margaret Grace Houston
(born Dec. 9, 1883 in Minneapolis, MN)
(died August 25, 1962 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)

She married Leslie Overton Cann on June 8, 1910 in Winnipeg, Canada

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[Canadian Goose]

Thank you for the references.  I have most of them but am skeptical about some of them.  The marriage between Edith Houston and C.D. Clark being one.  The marriage registration has no parent names and Edith is in Thermopolis for the 1910 census with her mother using the surname Roberts? I know a number of Houston researchers have this marriage in their trees but I really have found nothing to connect it this family.

Thank you for taking the time to pass this along.

Judy