Emaline “Emma” Ward was a twin to Evaline Ward, the 7th and 8th children of nine.
She married five times:
John Asbury Gatten, Feb. 11, 1874, Brown Co., Indiana
George Webster King, Nov. 4, 1874, Brown Co., Indiana
Phillip Moore, March 3, 1879, Barton Co., Kansas
Daniel Keller, April 22, 1886, Bartholomew Co., Indiana
Harold Brown, July 23, 1925, Barton Co., Kansas
The first marriage, to John Gatten, did not last long--she was pregnant, but not by Gatten. He divorced her after about three months. After the infant, George Albert King, was born in April, Emma did force George W. King (through a court case) to marry her, although it was a marriage in name only. He never lived with her at all, and was divorced as soon as he could arrange it. The son, George A. King, did live with his King grandparents for awhile, but his spinster aunts were embarrassed to have him around, given the circumstances of his birth. When some of the Wards moved to Kansas, these aunts pressed young George (he was about 12) to go with them, "for the wonderful opportunity in Kansas." He did go, but was rushed off, and had no chance to say goodbye to his King grandfather, who was heartbroken and never did know about the underhanded dealings that had gone on behind the scenes.
As it turned out, Kansas really was a wonderful opportunity for George, and he did very well there, with a fine home and much land. His wife died fairly young, and he raised their two children, Rubie and Marion. Marion served in WWII, and his father had a house built for him to come home to, but Marion was killed in Germany in 1944. A sad time for them all. The daughter, Rubie, passed away in 1998.
Emma next married Phillip Moore, who is a mystery, by and large. There IS an 1879 marriage record, in Barton Co., Kansas; but it appears that they probably already had a child, LeRoy, born in Brown Co. the year before. In any case, Emma had LeRoy and Jesse Moore in pretty short order, and then Mr. Moore vanished. No death record, no divorce of record. An 1881 item in the Columbus, Indiana, newspaper lists her as a widow, although it isn't known for certain that was accurate. When she married next, to Dan Keller in 1886, she reported that she was a widow.
Dan was a decent enough fellow, handsome, respectable and honest; but he didn't care for children; so the Moore boys were sent to stay with various relatives.
LeRoy Moore, “Roy,” rambled much of his early life, and left few tracks, although he was in contact with his mother as an adult--there are photos of him. He married, possibly more than once, and had a son, Earl, and a daughter, Vivian Georgia Moore. He was living in Sacramento, California, in 1949.
Emaline’s son, Jesse Moore, boarded the interurban (train) at Columbus and went to Indianapolis by himself, when about 10 or 12 years old. He went to the City Market and a German family hired him to work in their business; and then just took him in because he was a homeless child. He stayed there until he was grown--working, but also attending school. He was fortunate, of course; many other "street children" ended up with far worse fates. Child welfare organizations were only just beginning to intervene in situations like these, so it wasn't uncommon for a boy that age to just "run away," and fend for himself. Jesse was a good man, and raised a nice family. He reconnected with his cousin, Joe Cook, when he came back to Columbus (they were near in age, and had played together as boys) and they always remained close. Jesse never had much contact as an adult with his errant mother.
Emma's marriage to Dan Keller did endure, 37 years. She had no more children after the first three. She was active in church in Great Bend, and was said to have a lovely singing voice.
Emma married a fifth time, a few months after Dan died, to a widower named Harold R. Brown. This marriage didn't last. She had gone to Michigan to visit relatives, and was on her way home in January 1926, intending to divorce him; but had a stroke and died at a relative's home in Rice Co., Kansas, a county adjacent to Barton.
She married five times:
John Asbury Gatten, Feb. 11, 1874, Brown Co., Indiana
George Webster King, Nov. 4, 1874, Brown Co., Indiana
Phillip Moore, March 3, 1879, Barton Co., Kansas
Daniel Keller, April 22, 1886, Bartholomew Co., Indiana
Harold Brown, July 23, 1925, Barton Co., Kansas
The first marriage, to John Gatten, did not last long--she was pregnant, but not by Gatten. He divorced her after about three months. After the infant, George Albert King, was born in April, Emma did force George W. King (through a court case) to marry her, although it was a marriage in name only. He never lived with her at all, and was divorced as soon as he could arrange it. The son, George A. King, did live with his King grandparents for awhile, but his spinster aunts were embarrassed to have him around, given the circumstances of his birth. When some of the Wards moved to Kansas, these aunts pressed young George (he was about 12) to go with them, "for the wonderful opportunity in Kansas." He did go, but was rushed off, and had no chance to say goodbye to his King grandfather, who was heartbroken and never did know about the underhanded dealings that had gone on behind the scenes.
As it turned out, Kansas really was a wonderful opportunity for George, and he did very well there, with a fine home and much land. His wife died fairly young, and he raised their two children, Rubie and Marion. Marion served in WWII, and his father had a house built for him to come home to, but Marion was killed in Germany in 1944. A sad time for them all. The daughter, Rubie, passed away in 1998.
Emma next married Phillip Moore, who is a mystery, by and large. There IS an 1879 marriage record, in Barton Co., Kansas; but it appears that they probably already had a child, LeRoy, born in Brown Co. the year before. In any case, Emma had LeRoy and Jesse Moore in pretty short order, and then Mr. Moore vanished. No death record, no divorce of record. An 1881 item in the Columbus, Indiana, newspaper lists her as a widow, although it isn't known for certain that was accurate. When she married next, to Dan Keller in 1886, she reported that she was a widow.
Dan was a decent enough fellow, handsome, respectable and honest; but he didn't care for children; so the Moore boys were sent to stay with various relatives.
LeRoy Moore, “Roy,” rambled much of his early life, and left few tracks, although he was in contact with his mother as an adult--there are photos of him. He married, possibly more than once, and had a son, Earl, and a daughter, Vivian Georgia Moore. He was living in Sacramento, California, in 1949.
Emaline’s son, Jesse Moore, boarded the interurban (train) at Columbus and went to Indianapolis by himself, when about 10 or 12 years old. He went to the City Market and a German family hired him to work in their business; and then just took him in because he was a homeless child. He stayed there until he was grown--working, but also attending school. He was fortunate, of course; many other "street children" ended up with far worse fates. Child welfare organizations were only just beginning to intervene in situations like these, so it wasn't uncommon for a boy that age to just "run away," and fend for himself. Jesse was a good man, and raised a nice family. He reconnected with his cousin, Joe Cook, when he came back to Columbus (they were near in age, and had played together as boys) and they always remained close. Jesse never had much contact as an adult with his errant mother.
Emma's marriage to Dan Keller did endure, 37 years. She had no more children after the first three. She was active in church in Great Bend, and was said to have a lovely singing voice.
Emma married a fifth time, a few months after Dan died, to a widower named Harold R. Brown. This marriage didn't last. She had gone to Michigan to visit relatives, and was on her way home in January 1926, intending to divorce him; but had a stroke and died at a relative's home in Rice Co., Kansas, a county adjacent to Barton.
Emaline “Emma” Ward was a twin to Evaline Ward, the 7th and 8th children of nine.
She married five times:
John Asbury Gatten, Feb. 11, 1874, Brown Co., Indiana
George Webster King, Nov. 4, 1874, Brown Co., Indiana
Phillip Moore, March 3, 1879, Barton Co., Kansas
Daniel Keller, April 22, 1886, Bartholomew Co., Indiana
Harold Brown, July 23, 1925, Barton Co., Kansas
The first marriage, to John Gatten, did not last long--she was pregnant, but not by Gatten. He divorced her after about three months. After the infant, George Albert King, was born in April, Emma did force George W. King (through a court case) to marry her, although it was a marriage in name only. He never lived with her at all, and was divorced as soon as he could arrange it. The son, George A. King, did live with his King grandparents for awhile, but his spinster aunts were embarrassed to have him around, given the circumstances of his birth. When some of the Wards moved to Kansas, these aunts pressed young George (he was about 12) to go with them, "for the wonderful opportunity in Kansas." He did go, but was rushed off, and had no chance to say goodbye to his King grandfather, who was heartbroken and never did know about the underhanded dealings that had gone on behind the scenes.
As it turned out, Kansas really was a wonderful opportunity for George, and he did very well there, with a fine home and much land. His wife died fairly young, and he raised their two children, Rubie and Marion. Marion served in WWII, and his father had a house built for him to come home to, but Marion was killed in Germany in 1944. A sad time for them all. The daughter, Rubie, passed away in 1998.
Emma next married Phillip Moore, who is a mystery, by and large. There IS an 1879 marriage record, in Barton Co., Kansas; but it appears that they probably already had a child, LeRoy, born in Brown Co. the year before. In any case, Emma had LeRoy and Jesse Moore in pretty short order, and then Mr. Moore vanished. No death record, no divorce of record. An 1881 item in the Columbus, Indiana, newspaper lists her as a widow, although it isn't known for certain that was accurate. When she married next, to Dan Keller in 1886, she reported that she was a widow.
Dan was a decent enough fellow, handsome, respectable and honest; but he didn't care for children; so the Moore boys were sent to stay with various relatives.
LeRoy Moore, “Roy,” rambled much of his early life, and left few tracks, although he was in contact with his mother as an adult--there are photos of him. He married, possibly more than once, and had a son, Earl, and a daughter, Vivian Georgia Moore. He was living in Sacramento, California, in 1949.
Emaline’s son, Jesse Moore, boarded the interurban (train) at Columbus and went to Indianapolis by himself, when about 10 or 12 years old. He went to the City Market and a German family hired him to work in their business; and then just took him in because he was a homeless child. He stayed there until he was grown--working, but also attending school. He was fortunate, of course; many other "street children" ended up with far worse fates. Child welfare organizations were only just beginning to intervene in situations like these, so it wasn't uncommon for a boy that age to just "run away," and fend for himself. Jesse was a good man, and raised a nice family. He reconnected with his cousin, Joe Cook, when he came back to Columbus (they were near in age, and had played together as boys) and they always remained close. Jesse never had much contact as an adult with his errant mother.
Emma's marriage to Dan Keller did endure, 37 years. She had no more children after the first three. She was active in church in Great Bend, and was said to have a lovely singing voice.
Emma married a fifth time, a few months after Dan died, to a widower named Harold R. Brown. This marriage didn't last. She had gone to Michigan to visit relatives, and was on her way home in January 1926, intending to divorce him; but had a stroke and died at a relative's home in Rice Co., Kansas, a county adjacent to Barton.
She married five times:
John Asbury Gatten, Feb. 11, 1874, Brown Co., Indiana
George Webster King, Nov. 4, 1874, Brown Co., Indiana
Phillip Moore, March 3, 1879, Barton Co., Kansas
Daniel Keller, April 22, 1886, Bartholomew Co., Indiana
Harold Brown, July 23, 1925, Barton Co., Kansas
The first marriage, to John Gatten, did not last long--she was pregnant, but not by Gatten. He divorced her after about three months. After the infant, George Albert King, was born in April, Emma did force George W. King (through a court case) to marry her, although it was a marriage in name only. He never lived with her at all, and was divorced as soon as he could arrange it. The son, George A. King, did live with his King grandparents for awhile, but his spinster aunts were embarrassed to have him around, given the circumstances of his birth. When some of the Wards moved to Kansas, these aunts pressed young George (he was about 12) to go with them, "for the wonderful opportunity in Kansas." He did go, but was rushed off, and had no chance to say goodbye to his King grandfather, who was heartbroken and never did know about the underhanded dealings that had gone on behind the scenes.
As it turned out, Kansas really was a wonderful opportunity for George, and he did very well there, with a fine home and much land. His wife died fairly young, and he raised their two children, Rubie and Marion. Marion served in WWII, and his father had a house built for him to come home to, but Marion was killed in Germany in 1944. A sad time for them all. The daughter, Rubie, passed away in 1998.
Emma next married Phillip Moore, who is a mystery, by and large. There IS an 1879 marriage record, in Barton Co., Kansas; but it appears that they probably already had a child, LeRoy, born in Brown Co. the year before. In any case, Emma had LeRoy and Jesse Moore in pretty short order, and then Mr. Moore vanished. No death record, no divorce of record. An 1881 item in the Columbus, Indiana, newspaper lists her as a widow, although it isn't known for certain that was accurate. When she married next, to Dan Keller in 1886, she reported that she was a widow.
Dan was a decent enough fellow, handsome, respectable and honest; but he didn't care for children; so the Moore boys were sent to stay with various relatives.
LeRoy Moore, “Roy,” rambled much of his early life, and left few tracks, although he was in contact with his mother as an adult--there are photos of him. He married, possibly more than once, and had a son, Earl, and a daughter, Vivian Georgia Moore. He was living in Sacramento, California, in 1949.
Emaline’s son, Jesse Moore, boarded the interurban (train) at Columbus and went to Indianapolis by himself, when about 10 or 12 years old. He went to the City Market and a German family hired him to work in their business; and then just took him in because he was a homeless child. He stayed there until he was grown--working, but also attending school. He was fortunate, of course; many other "street children" ended up with far worse fates. Child welfare organizations were only just beginning to intervene in situations like these, so it wasn't uncommon for a boy that age to just "run away," and fend for himself. Jesse was a good man, and raised a nice family. He reconnected with his cousin, Joe Cook, when he came back to Columbus (they were near in age, and had played together as boys) and they always remained close. Jesse never had much contact as an adult with his errant mother.
Emma's marriage to Dan Keller did endure, 37 years. She had no more children after the first three. She was active in church in Great Bend, and was said to have a lovely singing voice.
Emma married a fifth time, a few months after Dan died, to a widower named Harold R. Brown. This marriage didn't last. She had gone to Michigan to visit relatives, and was on her way home in January 1926, intending to divorce him; but had a stroke and died at a relative's home in Rice Co., Kansas, a county adjacent to Barton.
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