Myrtle Lydia Simons ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8}

  General Notes:

Lydia was divorced from Stewart Lightfoot on 14 Jan 1919 and was remarried to George M. Tarner about 6 months later on 24 Jul 1919.
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  Noted events in her life were:

• She appeared on the 1900 US Census in Southampton Township, Franklin County, PA on 4 June 1900. ⁵

1900 US Census
Page 3A, District 53, Dwelling 38, Family 40
Southampton Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Home owned, no mortgage
Myrtle Lightfoot..Daughter..18..Oct 1882..PA..m 1 yr..1/1

(Married but living with daughter at the home of her parents.)

NOTE - The 1900 US Census shows Lydia living with her newborn daughter at the home of her parents. The husband, Stewart Lightfoot, was not listed as being present in the household in spite of the fact that the young couple had been married for only 6 months.
.

• She appeared on the 1910 US Census in Southampton Township, Franklin County, PA on 27 April 1910. ²

1910 US Census
Sheet 9B, District 35, Family 200, Roll 1348
Southampton Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Home owned, no mortgage
Married 10 years
Myrtle Lightfoot..Wife..27..PA..6/5

(Living with husband and 5 children.)
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• She appeared on the 1930 US Census in Shippensburg, PA on April 1930. ⁶

1930 US Census
Sheet 11B, District 0041, Household 302, Roll 2025
Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Myrtle Tarner..Head..47..PA..Divorced
Lydia Simons..Lodger..69..PA..Widowed

(Lydia / Myrtle was divorced and living with her widowed mother.)
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• She appeared on the 1940 US Census in Shippensburg, PA on 12 April 1940. ⁷

1940 US Census
Sheet 10B, District 21-49, Family 266, Roll 3479
Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
63-1/2 West King Street; House rented, $8
Last Place of Residence: Same House
Mertal Tarner..Daughter..57..PA..7th grade..divorced

(Divorced and living with widowed mother.)
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• She was buried after 28 April 1947 in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Scotland, PA.

Find A Grave Memorial #84645789
. ⁸

Myrtle married Stewart Oterbine Lightfoot, son of Robert Lee Lightfoot and Margaret Ann Millhouse, on 23 December 1899 in Chambersburg, PA.^{1 2} The marriage ended in divorce. (Stewart Oterbine Lightfoot was born on 9 January 1878 in , Franklin County, PA,^{9 10} died on 21 September 1931 in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, PA and was buried on 24 September 1931 in Lewistown, PA.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage Image: 23 December 1899, in Chambersburg, PA. ¹

• They appeared on the 1910 US Census in Southampton Township, Franklin County, PA on 27 April 1910. ²

1910 US Census
Sheet 9B, District 35, Family 200, Roll 1348
Southampton Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Home owned, no mortgage
Married 10 years
Stewart Lightfoot..Head..31..PA..Laborer, Odd Jobs
Myrtle Lightfoot..Wife..27..PA..6/5
Cora Lightfoot..Daughter..10..PA
John Lightfoot..Son..9..PA
Rhoda Lightfoot..Daughter..7..PA
Blanch Lightfoot..Daughter..5..PA
Stewart Lightfoot..Son..2..PA
.

• Stewart Oterbine Lightfoot and Myrtle Lydia Simons were divorced on 14 January 1919.

  Marriage Notes:

Name: Stewart O. Lightfoot
Spouse's Name: Lydia M. Simons
Event Date: 23 Dec 1899
Event Place: Chambersburg, Franklin, Pennsylvania
Father's Name: Robert Lightfoot
Mother's Name: Margaret A. Lightfoot
Spouse's Father's Name: John Simons
Spouse's Mother's Name: Lydia Belle Simons

Citing this Record
"Pennsylvania Marriages, 1709-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V263-GY2 : 11 February 2018), Stewart O. Lightfoot and Lydia M. Simons, 23 Dec 1899; citing Chambersburg, Franklin, Pennsylvania; FHL microfilm 323,905.
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After Stewart and Lydia divorced in Jan 1919, both were quickly remarried. If they had not already relocated from Franklin County, PA, Stewart and his 2nd wife had moved a few counties northward into Mifflin County, PA. Meanwhile, Lydia and her 2nd husband had moved one county to the east into Cumberland County, PA.

But where their children went remains somewhat of a mystery. Daughters Ethel and Rhoda who would have been about 20 and 17 years old respectively at the time of the divorce are not found anywhere after the previous 1910 US Census. But the youngest daughter, Blanche, was found in the 1920 US Census at the age of 15 living as a boarder with another family in Philadelphia. Interestingly, 2 years subsequent, she returned to Cumberland County, PA perhaps to be near her mother and was married there in 1922. However, by 1930 she and her entire family had moved to the same township in Mifflin County, PA where her father was living. Her father died there in 1931 but Bertha remained there with her family until her death in 1997.

The oldest son, John, appears to have remained with or near his father and shows up with him and his 2nd wife in the 1920 US Census.

The middle son, Stewart, was married in Massillon, Ohio sometime around 1930 and raised his family there until his death in 1999.

Floyd, the youngest son, also appears to have remained with or near his father and also shows up with him and his 2nd wife in the 1920 US Census.

This all has to make one wonder if the 3 daughters did not stay more or less together and if Blanche were in Philadelphia during the 1920 US Census, then perhaps Ethel and Rhoda may also have been there. I have been unable to locate any records about either one.
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