Before my great-grandma, Alice Lemoine, married my great-grandpa, Jim Dodge, in November of 1929, she was married to Charles Lemuels Grundy. They married on November 2, 1920, at Rawlins, Wyoming. From what I found, Charles Grundy was born in Texas on August 2, 1883 to William Grundy & Mary Airheart. His mother died August 19, 1883, leaving his father with several young children to take care of. Charles was farmed out to an aunt and uncle, Isaac & Sarah Pollard, who raised him. He was found living with them in the 1900 Census in Denton County, Texas.
It isn't known when he came to Wyoming, but he was there by 1918, when he registered for the WWI Draft on September 12th of that year. According to his WWI Draft Card, his father, William Grundy, was still alive and living at Rosston, Texas. His father passed away in 1923.
Charles Grundy was a sheep rancher in Carbon County, Wyoming. Following his marriage to my great-grandma, he applied for a homestead, totaling 640 acres. This homestead was located some 40 miles north of Rawlins and was a ranching homestead that he could use to continue with his sheep ranching. The homestead was granted on June 2, 1925. My great-grandma also applied for a 120-acre homestead on August 21, 1925, in an effort to increase their homestead and further his sheep ranching.
Ranching in general is a tough business, and ranching in Wyoming in particular can be very difficult. Sheep ranching can be particularly challenging because of the number of sheep that need to be taken care of. My great-grandma grew up in Hanna and Saratoga, Wyoming, where her father had ranched for many years. Growing up on a ranch and living the ranching lifestyle no doubt was a tough business. By 1928, great-grandma was working in the field and tending to the ranching duties of his sheep ranch. In June of 1929, she left the ranch and went to Laramie, Wyoming, where she worked at a laundry and met my great-grandpa, who had left Buena Vista, Colorado following his father's death in 1926.
Great-grandma filed for divorce on September 11, 1929. According to her divorce petition, she was forced by her husband to leave her home on June 8, 1929, and to leave her possessions there. He then visited her family and told them that she had left for Laramie, Wyoming, where she was conducting 'a house of prostitution'. He even convinced the Laramie Police to investigate her for being 'a woman of immoral character'. This was clearly nothing more than harassment and intimidation on his part. In addition to divorce, she also requested attorney's fees, court costs and alimony.
He filed an answer and cross-petition on October 10, 1929. He countered by contending that she was a contentious and quarrelsome woman with an abusive temper who had threatened to kill them both. He also stated that her leaving was without any cause and that her 'services and assistance' were needed in order for him to continue with his sheep ranching. Without her being there, he would be 'unable to carry on with his business' and would have to 'dispose of his holdings'
An agreement was reached on October 12, 1929, that either party could bring this matter on for hearing without notice to the other party. Charles Grundy did so and the divorce hearing was held on October 14, 1929, and the divorce was granted. Because great-grandma was not present at the hearing, she did not receive the costs and alimony requested. At least, she was done with her husband, Charles Grundy. She relinquished her homestead shortly after her divorce (as the homestead had not been finalized). She would elope with my great-grandpa, Jim Dodge, at Fort Collins, Colorado on November 6, 1929.
My great-grandparents continued to reside in Laramie, where Grandpa Jim worked on the Windmill Ranch until the mid 1930's when they moved to Rawlins. My great-grandma lived there until 1976, when she moved to Clearfield, Utah to be close to her family. She died in Ogden, Utah in 1989.
As for Charles Grundy, he did end up selling his property following the divorce. He continued with sheep ranching until April of 1932, when he was stricken with pneumonia. He died at Baggs, Wyoming on May 1, 1932. Following his death, the bank filed for probate, his sheep and ranching equipment were sold by the bank and the proceeds used to pay off some of his debts. He also had a $1,000 life insurance policy, which although was also used to pay back his debts, was not enough to pay them in full. His estate was declared insolvent and his remaining debts were deemed paid in full after being paid back at a fraction of what was owed with what remaining funds were left. Below are his death record and obituary that I found some time ago.
Below are the pleadings that were filed in my great-grandma's divorce from 1929. I recently obtained these from the Wyoming State Archives. They are fascinating to read through and give light to an episode of my great-grandma's life that she never really discussed.
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