Saturday, February 11, 2017

Family History Writing Challenge Day 11

On Sunday morning, 19 September 1886, Joseph and his family attended Mass at St. Gabriel's Church. It was there that Joseph dropped dead of a heart attack. His obituary stated that he seemed to be in the best of health and spirits that morning, and that the sudden death of this prominent citizen was a shock to the whole community. It further elaborated that Mr. Kubler was a man of many good qualities; always kind and agreeable to his neighbors, and a kind husband and father.

Joseph Kubler stone
Joseph was only 38 years old, coincidentally the same age as Josephine's mother when she died. Josephine became a widow at 34 and their sons were the following ages: Henry, 18; William, 16; and John, 13.

The Indianapolis News reported on 12 December 1887 that Mrs. Josephine Kubler of Connersville sued Herman Jones for $10,000 damages for an alleged rape committed the last July. The defendant was fined $400 for the rape.

On 20 October 1889, three years and one month after the death of Joseph, Josephine married John Frederick. Father Rudolph of St. Gabriel's again officiated the ceremony. The couple welcomed a son, Claude, to the family on 19 November 1892 when Josephine was 40. Sometime before 13 July 1899, John Frederick either died or the couple was divorced. Because on that date Josephine married Francis Ashton in St. Joseph, Michigan. It was the first marriage for Francis, who was 10 years younger than Josephine. St. Joseph is 230 miles away from Connersville where Josephine and Francis were both living, so that is an interesting choice as they were married there by a Justice of the Peace.

Joseph and Josephine's son Henry (my great-grandfather) married Louis Boegel in Connersville in 1891, son William married Nellie Young in Connersville in 1894, and son John married Elenora Michael in 1896 also in Connersville. More details on the boys will be covered in the next post.

Josephine wrote up her will on 21 November 1902. In it, she left her money and possessions to each of her surviving children and grandchildren, as well as the sum of $4,000 to her 3rd husband. Additionally, she specified that $1,000 and all her diamonds and jewelry were to go to her son, Claude, who was a minor of 10 when his mother had the will drawn up. Josephine nominated her son John to be the guardian of the person and estate of Claude until he arrived at the age of 21. Son William was named the executor. She had quite a nice estate, a portion of which may have come from her previous marriages. But she was also part of the Hillenbrand family from Batesville, Indiana who had built quite an industry from the land and forests in the area. It is quite possible that she had some family money as well. Or did she end up getting the $10,000 rape settlement?

She died before May of 1905 as that is when her husband Francis filed papers with the Fayette County Circuit Court renouncing  and waiving all of his rights as surviving husband of the deceased Josephine Ashton beyond what Josephine had outlined in her will in 1902. Did Josephine enact an early prenuptial agreement with husband number 3?


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