James Albert Wiley ^{1 2 3 4 5 6}

  General Notes:

James A. Wiley, who sometimes went by his middle name of Albert, was married to Mary R. Ortscheid in 1881 at Belle Plaine, Iowa. There are no birth records for either of his 2 sons, Frank and Orin Wiley.

The mystery starts immediately after the 1881 marriage with one 1885 Iowa State Census enumeration which shows James Albert Wiley as single and still living at home with his parents. Does this mean the marriage to Mary R. Ortscheid might have been to a different James Albert Wiley? Perhaps, because there were multiple Wiley families living in the area. But there is another 1885 Iowa State Census enumeration which shows James, Mary, sons Frank and Orin all living together. According to the addresses on the census forms, the family lived only 2 blocks or so away from his parents in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

James Albert Wiley does not appear in any other census enumeration after 1885. Where he went and what happened to him is a mystery. If the marriage did split up, which seems to be first evidenced by the 1900 US Census which shows Mary living with one son at the home of her brother-in-law, perhaps James headed west to California. The brother-in-law was divorced or widowed and living with 2 children from his first wife.

There is another mysterious record from Bakersfield, Kern County, California in which a James Albert Wiley appears on the voter registration rolls there in 1892. His birth date is given as about 1856 and he was born in Ohio, both matching the vitals for this James Albert Wiley. Unfortunately there are no other records of him from California or elsewhere.

As mentioned, in the 1900 US Census, Mary Wiley is found living with her brother-in-law, Edgar Howland in Anamosa, Jones County, Iowa. Living with her is her son, Orin Wiley who was designated on the census as a nephew to Edgar Howland. In addition, Mary was noted as married, having given birth to 2 children but only 1 survived at the time. Missing is the name of her other son, Frank, who is assumed to have died before this date in 1900. There is no mention about her husband, James Albert Wiley, and he is not found elsewhere in the 1900 US Census.

It is interesting to note that the 1910 US Census from Dubuque, Iowa shows Mary living as the wife to Edward Howland along with 2 children born to them. They were married about 1902. Edward Edgar Howland died in 1919 in St. Charles, Illinois. Mary and her daughters moved to Monrovia, California about 1935. She died there on 31 Dec 1951 and was cremated 2 days later.
----------------------------------------

Possible but no other info that he ever moved to California:

Name: James Albert Wiley
Event Type: Voter Registration
Event Date: 25 Jul 1892
Event Place: Bakersfield, Kern, California, United States
Age: 36
Birth Year (Estimated): 1856
Birthplace: Ohio
Page: 78
GS Film number: 976468
Digital Folder Number: 005028148
Image Number: 00093

Citing this Record:
"California, Great Registers, 1866-1910," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VNFT-G2D : accessed 16 Mar 2014), James Albert Wiley, 25 Jul 1892; citing p. 78, Bakersfield, Kern, California, United States; FHL microfilm 976468.
----------------------------------------------

  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1860 US Census in Putnam, OH on June 1860. ³

1860 US Census
Page 32, Family 236
Putnam, Muskingum County, Ohio
James A. Wiley..2..OH

(Living with parents.)
.

• He appeared on the 1870 US Census in Belle Plaine, IA on 9 July 1870. ⁴

1870 US Census
Page 26, Family 225
Belle Plaine, Benton County, Iowa
James A. Wiley..13..OH

(Living with parents.)
.

• He appeared on the 1880 US Census in Belle Plaine, IA on June 1880. ⁵

1880 US Census
Page 226B, Roll 0327
Belle Plaine, Benton County, Iowa
Albert Wiley..Son..22..OH..Brakeman

(Living with parents.)
.

• He appeared on the 1885 Iowa State Census in Cedar Rapids, IA on January 1885. ²

1885 Iowa State Census
Page 118, Line 19, Family 5
Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa, United States
150 First Street
James A. Wiley..27..Illinois..RR Brakeman

(Living with wife and 2 children.)
.

• He appeared on the 1885 Iowa State Census in Cedar Rapids, IA on January 1885. ⁷

1885 Iowa State Census
Page 92, Line 3, Family 1
Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa
91 2nd Street
James A. Wiley..27..OH..RR Brakeman

(Living with parents.)

NOTE - James was also enumerated in 1885 as living with his wife and 2 children about 2 or 3 blocks away from his parents house.
.

James married Mary Rose Ortscheid, daughter of Andrew Ortscheid and Margeretta Turner, on 15 June 1881 in Belle Plaine, IA.^{1 2} (Mary Rose Ortscheid was born on 29 August 1862 in Cassville, WI,^{1 2 8 9} died on 31 December 1951 in Monrovia, CA ⁹ and was cremated on 2 January 1952 in Pasadena, CA ⁹.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage Image: 15 June 1881, in Belle Plaine, IA. ¹

• They appeared on the 1885 Iowa State Census in Cedar Rapids, IA on January 1885. ²

1885 Iowa State Census
Page 118, Line 19, Family 5
Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa, United States
150 First Street
James A. Wiley..27..Illinois..RR Brakeman
Mary Wiley..22..Wisconsin
Frank Wiley..2..Iowa
Orin Wiley..1..Iowa
.

  Marriage Notes:

Name: James Albert Wiley
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 15 Jun 1881
Event Place: Belle Plain, Benton, Iowa, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Marital Status: S
Birth Year (Estimated): 1857
Father's Name: John Wiley
Mother's Name: Darner
Spouse's Name: Mary R. Ortscheid
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 19
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1862
Spouse's Father's Name: Andrew Ortscheid
Spouse's Mother's Name: Margeretta Lanes
Reference ID: p 186

Citing this Record
"Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XJVR-5JZ : 25 September 2017), Margeretta Lanes in entry for James Albert Wiley and Mary R. Ortscheid, 15 Jun 1881, Belle Plain, Benton, Iowa, United States; citing reference p 186, county courthouses, Iowa; FHL microfilm 987,634.
------------------------------------------------------