Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Saunders, Thomas A. 1930 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Marilyn Ransom mransom311@gmail.com September 3, 2014, 4:33 pm The Belding Banner-News, Thursday, January 2, 1930 Death Shows Local Man Was Bigamist Four Wives so Far Have Appeared. First One, Never Divorced, Wins Estate At the hearing in Probate court on Saturday, relative to the estate of Thomas A. Saunders, a former local man, who died in Au Gres, October 24, leaving property in Oak Ridge plat on the W. F. Sandell addition, consisting of three lots, a bungalow and garage, besides household furniture, tools, a Ford sedan and a quantity of Lumber, the matter of determination of who the estate belonged to brought out complications and surprises. Mr. Saunders’ first wife, whom he married nearly fifty years ago, in Au Gres, was present and proved to Judge Montgomery Webster that she was Sarah Ann Saunders, his legal wife, that six children were born to them, that he left her thirty years ago and that they were never divorced. After a careful review of the case the judge decided that although Saunders had been married two or three times after separating from her, none of the other wives could share in the estate. Mrs. Saunders was the daughter of Indian parents of the Chippewa tribe. They both died, and while a young girl she was adopted into a white family by the name of Smith. One of the daughters and the husband died leaving a child which the grandmother took care and was caring for when a fire destroyed her home, burning up the baby and all contents. E. B. Lapham, who had been appointed special administrator, was authorized with the consent of Mrs. Saunders, to handle the estate and out of the sale of the personal property to pay claims pro rata. The claim for burial expenses which had been sent to this county by the undertaker, was withdrawn and paid by Mrs. Saunders. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/s/saunders28373nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 2.3 Kb