DIVORCE PETITION/DECREE OF 
       CLARA ELLEN (JODDRELL) HUGHES AND WILLIAM T. HUGHES; 1897;
         AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF CLARA ELLEN (JODRELL) HUGHES;
                         KNOX COUNTY, NEBRASKA

Divorce petition/decree transcribed from a photocopy of the documents 
by the submitter. Biography composed by the submitter.
Submitted to the USGenWeb Nebraska Archives, February, 1998, by Carol 
Renner (renner@icsi.net). 
  

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Clara Ellen Joddrell, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Cuttle Joddrell,
was born 3 Feb 1868, in Rochdale, Lancashire, England and died 1 April
1928, in Bloomfield, NE. The Joddrells lived in Stockport, Cheshire,
England before moving c1860 to Rochdale. They worked in the textile
mills and Clara Ellen worked as a bobbin girl before immigrating in 1888
to work in her brother, Daniel Joddrell’s, general store near Yankton,
SD. After her marriage and divorce from William T.Hughes of Bon Homme
Co., she married Robert Hilfiker and they had two children: Archie and
Edith Hilfiker Heick of Tuscon, AR, according to Clara’s obituary in the
Bloomfield, NE newspaper. Clara had one step-daughter, Mrs.Elsie
Stewart.

	                     Divorce Petition 

In the District court for Knox County Nebraska

Clara Ellen Hughes     }  petition
    plaintiff
       V
William T. Hughes      }
   defendant

	Comes now the plaintiff and complains of the defendant and alleges that
for more than twelve months immediately preceeding the filing of this
petition she has been a resident of Knox County in the state of
Nebraska.

2.	That on the 29th day of September 1889 at Yankton in the state of
South Dakota she was married to the defendant and has ever since
conducted herself toward said defendant as a faithful chaste and
obedient wife.

3.	The defendant disregarding his duties as a husband on the 25th day of
November 1894 willfully deserted the plaintiff and for more than two
years last past has been willfully absent from her without a reasonable
or just cause.

4.	That the following children are the result of said marriage to wit:
Clifford Hughes born March 5th 1893 and Elizabeth Ellen Hughes born May
17,1895 and that he said defendant has willfully abandoned the said
children and failed and refused to contribute to their maintainance and
support for more than two years last past and the burden of care and
maintaince of the said children has been bourn by the plaintiff wholly.

	Plaintiff therefore prays that she may be divorced from said defendant
and that she be awarded the custody of the said children Clifford Hughes
and Elizabeth Ellen Hughes together with such other relief as equity may
require.
			Clara Ellen Hughes
			by Jas. Lucas, Atty.


State of Neb   }
County of Knox }
	I Clara Ellen Hughes the plaintiff in the foregoing action do solomenly
swear that I am fully acquainted with the allegations set forth in the
foregoing petition and I believe the facts stated herein to be true.
	Clara Ellen Hughes
	Subscribed in my presence and sworn to before me this 27 day of July
1897.
	James Lucas, Notary Public
---------------------------------------
	In the District Court of Knox County Nebraska
Clara Ellen Hughes  }
      plaintiff
			V
William T. Hughes   }
	 defendant
		Decree of Divorce
	Now to wit on this 22 Day of Oct 1897--
This case came on to be heard upon the petition and the evidence was
submitted to the court on consideration whereof the court finds that due
notice of the filing and residence of this petition for divorce was
given to the defendant according to law and that said defendant having
failed to answer summons or otherwise plead is by the court adjudged to
be in default and after being three several times called by the sheriff
in open court default is hereby entered against said defendant. The
court further finds that said parties were married as set forth in the
said petition and that the defendant has been wilfully absent from the
plaintiff without good cause for two years prior to the filing of said
petition for divorce.
	It is therefore considered by the court that the marriage relation
heretofore existing between said parties be and the same hereby is set
aside and wholly annulled and the parties released from the obligations
of the same, and that the plaintiff pay the costs of this action taxed
at $--.
	And it is further ordered that the care, custody, nurture, and
education of the children of the parties in this action to wit: Clifford
Hughes and Elizabeth Ellen Hughes be until further order of the court
confined exclusively to the plaintiff in said above cause to wit Clara
Ellen Hughes and the defendant William T.Hughes is hereby enjoined from
meddling with or in any wise interferring with either of said children.

By W.D. Funk                    judge
Plffs. Atty.

recorded: lst day of November 1897; journal 4, page 238
R.H. Harris, Clerk of Court
W.D.Funk
J.B. Lucas
Plffs. Atty.

Transcribed from a photocopy of the documents by Carol Renner, email:
renner@icsi.net