Since I had received the Civil War Pension records of Robert Stephens I have been wondering about his first family. That came as a total surprise, or rather I had not considered that he may have been married before.
What was the surprise is that he had filed for divorce and never went through with it and then took up with a second woman, who happens to be my husbands ancestor. I was perusing the name of wife #1, Sarah Wright and found a great narrative about her and her children posted by one of her descendants on Find a Grave. I wrote him a short email and asked him if he wanted to share information because I had it to share.
On her death certificate Sarah had indicated that she was a widow. As far I can see, it seems that Robert was dead to her because by that time he had four children to wife #2 Olive Bowser, He was really excited to share information because Robert was a brick wall, that came tumbling down in short order.
He could not find the burial place or any other information about Robert, I guess that was a major surprise and it would have been to me, I think none of the descendants of wife #1 knew about wife #2 at all. He and I shared much information and at least we had a good time with information, gossip is interesting and sometimes unbelievable even one hundred and twenty years after the fact.
This will make great conversation among his side at the next family reunion. I may be invited.
