Henrietta Pauline Gurskell (Elskins) - Marriages

Started by Private User on Thursday, September 14, 2023
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  • Private User
    Geni Pro

Profiles Mentioned:

Henrietta's first marriage was to William J. Lyons. The source can be found on the FamilySearch.org page: "Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1968", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7WS-GJ3 : 25 January 2023), William J. Lyons and Henrietta Elskins, 1895. In this record, her date of birth is listed as 1876, showing she was 19 years of age.

It was during this marriage that her daughter, Ruth Emma Lyons was born (1896). Ruth used the last name Fullenwider and is shown as the daughter of Riley Fullenwider on FamilySearch.org. My grandmother, Ruth's adopted daughter, attributes Ruth's father as a "Lyons". Ruth's birth record indicates her father is William Lyons: "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1949", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q23M-XYLT : 5 October 2022), Ruth Emma Lyons, 1942.

Henrietta's second mariage was to Riley Fullenwider. The reference: "Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1968", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N744-HY4 : 25 January 2023), Riley Fullenwider and Henriette Or Henrietta Elskins Or Elkins, 1902. This record shows her year of birth as 1881, which would make her 21 years of age, and only 14 years of age at the time she married William Lyons. I wonder if that first marriage may have been annulled due to her age, as her last name is again listed as Erskins on this marriage record.

Henrietta's third marriage was to Frank A. Gurskill, the actual license can be viewed on Family Search.org. This lists her birth year as 1885, which is likely incorrect, as it would mean she would have been 10 when she married William and 11 when she gave birth to Ruth.

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