Hattie Alberta Oakes ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

Following her divorce or annulment from Joseph Drugan, Hattie was remarried to Charles James Sanford in 1896 in Trempealeau County, and they were found in the 1900 US Census in La Crosse, Wisconsin. They later moved to Minnehaha County, South Dakota.
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  Burial Notes:

Find a Grave Memorial ID: 45052580

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45052580/hattie_alberta-sanford: accessed April 11, 2025), memorial page for Hattie Alberta Oakes Sanford (Sep 1879\'9612 Aug 1905), Find a Grave Memorial ID 45052580, citing Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, USA; Maintained by: Find a Grave.
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Hattie married Joseph Drugan, son of Andrew Drugan, Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Gilroy, on 26 November 1894 in Trempealeau, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, United States.¹ The marriage ended in divorce. (Joseph Drugan was born on 15 May 1869 in Trempealeau, Wisconsin, United States,^{3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11} died on 28 November 1941 in La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States ^{10 11} and was buried on 1 December 1941 in Old Catholic Cemetery, Trempealeau, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, United States ^{10 11}.). The cause of his death was Stroke.

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Divorced, 1895, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, United States. Trempealeau County Civil Court Case Index
Defendant: Joseph Drugan; Plaintiff: Hattie Drugan 1895 1190

  Marriage Notes:

CONTEST FOR A BRIDE
STRANGE STORY REPORTED FROM VILLAGE OF TREMPEALEAU
Hattie Oakes Weds James (sic) Durgan (sic) and by the Aid of a Revolver her Brother induces her to Leave Him --- A Strange Complication of Matters Results.

A strange story comes from Trempealeau regarding the marriage of Mr. Jos. Drugan and Miss Hattie Oakes. They were married by Justice Gibson one day last week and four days later were separated by interference from the brides's parents, the bride by the persuasive argument of a revolver in her brother's hand being taken to her maiden home. It is related that the groom's demands for his bride were met with refusal by the parents, who said their daughter was under age and that legal steps to annul the marriage could be taken. The officer of the law, it is said, also refused to assist the groom in this attempt. It is said the claim is set up by the girl's parents that she was made the victim of a conspiracy or a species of kidnapping; that she was induced to go to the home of Frank Jones on some pretext or other where undue influence was brought to bear to have her marry Drugan, all of which is denied by the latter party, who claims the girl was perfectly agreeable to having the nuptial knot tied and moreover says she is 18 years old. The latest report is that the parents have consented to the match, but that Drugan and Jones imagining they have got into trouble have gone west. Miss Oakes is a very prepossessing young lady and Mr. Drugan an exemplary young man who was reared and brought up in Trempealeau.

(Source: Winona Daily Republican, 8 Dec 1894, Page 3)
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SHE WAS DRUGGED
HOW A TREMPEALEAU LADY ENTERED THE MATRIMONIAL STATE

Hattie Oakes Brings Suit Against Joseph Drugan, the Man Who thus Imposed Upon her, But he Cannot be Found --- former Reference to this Case.

On the 8th of December THE REPUBLICAN published a story from Trempealeau regarding the marriage of Miss Hattie Oakes and Mr. Jos. Drugan, in which it was stated, on one side that the marriage was in the nature of an elopement, and that the girl's brother had torn her away from her husband by the use of a revolver, and on the other side that the girl had been kidnapped and married as the result of a conspiracy. The latter story seems to have been the correct one, as the young lady --- who resides with her widowed mother on a small farm lying between Trempealeau and Galesville --- has this week appeared before G. O. McGilvray, a justice of the peace, and made an affidavit to the following story:

"On Sunday, November 25, I was prevailed upon by Frank Jones and his wife to go (to their) house on the pretext that my services were needed. A man by the name of Joseph Drugan was there. He was an entire stranger to me. Jones and his wife began by praising up Mr. Drugan as a nice fellow, and after a time he asked me to marry him, but I refused. On the following Monday I felt strangely, and in the evening was taken by Mr. and Mrs. Jones and Drugan before W. H. Gibson, a justice of the peace at Trempealeau, where Drugan swore that I was 19 years of age. I knew but little of what was transpiring about me, but later on I learned that I had been married to Drugan by Gibson. I was taken back to Jones's house and kept there three days by the Joneses and Drugan. On Friday Jones and Drugan went to Trempealeau, leaving instruction not to allow me out of the house. I improved my opportunities, however, and escaped to the home of my mother. It was some time before I felt right in my head."

The theory is that Miss Oakes was drugged at the supper table in Jones's and her friends were in a frenzy when they learned of the outrage which had been visited upon her. Steps were immediately taken to effect the arrest and punishment of Drugan, but when they searched for him they found that he had fled, and his whereabouts are still unknown.

The young woman will now ask the courts for a release from the matrimonial bonds placed upon her, and to that end has engaged Attorney Wyatt H. Graves, of La Crosse.

(Source: Winona Daily Republican, 15 Jan 1895, Page 3)
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Name: Joseph Drugan
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 26 Nov 1894
Event Place: Trempealeau, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, United States
Event Place (Original): Trempealeau, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, United States
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: American
Race: W
Birthplace: Tremp., Tremp., Wis.
Father's Name: Andrew Drugan
Mother's Name: Mary Drugan
Spouse's Name: Hattie Oakes
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Race: W
Spouse's Race (Original): W
Spouse's Birthplace: Harrison, Ill.
Spouse's Father's Name: Hatfield Oakes
Spouse's Mother's Name: Caroline Oakes

Citing this Record
"Wisconsin Marriages, 1836-1930", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRKT-5CN : 30 January 2020), Mary Drugan in entry for Joseph Drugan, 1894.
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