William Butler Divine ^{1 2 3 4 5}

  Noted events in his life were:

1. 1900 US Census, 12 June 1900, Newport Township, Barton, Missouri, United States. ² 1900 US Census
Sheet 16A, District 23, Family 319
Newport Township, Barton County, Missouri, United States
Farm owned, with mortgage
Married 5 years
William B. Divine..Head..Dec 1872..27..Missouri..Farmer

(Living with wife.)

2. United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, 12 September 1918, Elko, Elko, Nevada, United States. ⁴ Name: William Butler Divine
Birth Date: 1872
Birthplace: United States

3. 1920 US Census, 17 January 1920, Doylesport Township, Barton, Missouri, United States. ³ 1920 US Census
Sheet 4B, District 26, Family 92, Roll 902
Doylesport Township, Barton County, Missouri, United States
Farm owned
William B. Divine..Head..47..Missouri..Farmer

(Living with wife and son.)

4. Cemetery: Nigh Cemetery, 8 August 1957, Lamar, Barton, Missouri, United States. ⁵ Find a Grave Memorial 109032715

William married Nancy N. Holmes, daughter of Lott Leonard Holmes and Nancy Elizabeth Ownby, on 20 February 1895 in Newport, Barton, Missouri, United States.^{1 2 3} (Nancy N. Holmes was born on 11 April 1872 in La Plata, Macon, Missouri, United States,^{2 3 6 7} died on 29 January 1925 in La Plata, Macon, Missouri, United States ⁷ and was buried after 29 January 1925 in Lamar, Barton, Missouri, United States ⁷.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Marriage Image, 20 February 1895, Newport, Barton, Missouri, United States. ¹

2. 1900 US Census, 12 June 1900, Newport Township, Barton, Missouri, United States. ² 1900 US Census
Sheet 16A, District 23, Family 319
Newport Township, Barton County, Missouri, United States
Farm owned, with mortgage
Married 5 years
William B. Divine..Head..Dec 1872..27..Missouri..Farmer
Nancy N. Divine..Wife..Apr 1872..27..Missouri..0/0..School Teacher

3. 1920 US Census, 17 January 1920, Doylesport Township, Barton, Missouri, United States. ³ 1920 US Census
Sheet 4B, District 26, Family 92, Roll 902
Doylesport Township, Barton County, Missouri, United States
Farm owned
William B. Divine..Head..47..Missouri..Farmer
Nancy A. Divine..Wife..47..Missouri
Butler H. Divine..Son..14..Missouri

  Marriage Notes:

There were other William Devines living not only in Lamar, Barton County, Missouri but in the surrounding area as well. For example, there was a William and Pheoba Devine enumerated in the 1920 US Census in Lamar, Barton County, Missouri. The most noticeable difference between all the different persons would seem to be spelling of the surname, either Devine or Divine. It would appear that the one that married Nancy Holmes used the spelling of Divine.

There is a marriage record for William Butler Divine and Nancy A. Holmes in Barton County, Missouri in 1895. There are 1900 and 1920 US Census records showing William B. Divine with wife, Nancy A. Divine. And finally, both of their separate gravestones show the spelling as Divine.

Then there is a strange record of a William Butler Divine appearing on the WWI Draft Registration Cards from Owyhee, Elko County, Nevada. His birth date is shown as the identical 4 Dec 1872 but the record does not indicate a birth location. His occupation is that of a farmer working for the Federal Government. His nearest relative was shown as Nancy N. Divine, presumably his wife and is the same middle initial on her gravestone back in Barton County, Missouri. Note that this card is signed and it shows his surname spelled as Divine instead of Devine. If these are two different people then its very strange that they share the same birth date and name of their wife. And if this is the same William Butler Devine, then it is strange that he traveled from Missouri to a very remote area of Nevada in 1915 when the 1900 US Census shows him living in Doylesport, Barton County, Missouri as does the 1920 US Census. Why would he travel there only to return right back a few years later? It could be possible especially because he is not found anywhere in Missouri for the 1910 US Census.
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Name: William B Divine
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 20 Feb 1895
Event Place: Barton, Missouri, United States
Spouse's Name: Miss Nancy A Holmes
Page: 358

Citing this Record
"Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WP7T-5CT2 : 1 October 2019), Miss Nancy A Holmes in entry for William B Divine, 20 Feb 1895; citing Marriage, Barton, Missouri, United States, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City; FHL microfilm 007424461.
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