Jude A Smith was born about 1858 in Pennsylvania to parents Abraham Possinger Smith and Emily Rebecca Thompson. Jude is not a direct ancestor – but the brother of my 3rd great-grandmother Rosa Smith.

Jude moved to Bay County Michigan with his family in the 1870’s.  He married Mary Mathilda Lago on October 29, 1887 in Beaver Township, Bay County. Jude and Mathilda had 2 children – Delbert on September 1, 1888 and Almina on May 6, 1890. Tragically, he was murdered by his own brother on December 6, 1890.

After his murder, Jude’s widow, Mathilda married John F. Streu on July 19, 1891 just a couple of months after her former brother-in-law Robert was convicted of Jude’s murder. She and John would go on to have 3 children of their own – Emma, Carrie and William. John would help raise Jude’s children as in 1900, Delbert and Almina (Mina) were living with him and their mother in Bay Township. However, by 1912, Mathilda marries Horace Rickel in Flint, Michigan.  Mathilda marries a fourth time to Joseph Beech. She dies December 13, 1940 in Midland. I have not yet found evidence of her divorces or record of the last marriage. Her death certificate is the source of the last husband.

So far, I haven’t been able to definitively trace Delbert Smith past the 1900 census. I’m not sure if he moved, died or what.

However, Jude’s daughter Almina – who apparently went by Mina, was married and divorced 3 times. Almina first marries Ralph W. Watson on December 12, 1909 in Saginaw, Michigan. She is living with Ralph and his parents in 1910. They were divorced in Saginaw County on August 8, 1912. It doesn’t indicate who filed for divorce, but the claim of extreme cruelty was the grounds for the divorce.

Almina would marry Elliot Wilson Hart on May 9, 1912 in Essex, Ontario, Canada. – Her son who was named Leroy (Roy) Wilson Hart was born October 1, 1911 in Michigan. So apparently Almina had met Elliot Wilson in early 1911 (or late 1910) and had a fling and eventually convince her second husband to marry her even though she was already married to Ralph. In all likelyhood, Ralph filed for the divorce and made the claim of extreme cruelty since she apparently ran off with another man – having his child and marrying him!

Almina would go on to have 2 other children with Elliot Wilson Hart – Clarabelle born in 1916 and Wilbur Adelbert born in 1918. They lived in Midland, Michigan in 1920. Unfortunately, it didn’t last. Almina and Elliot Wilson were divorced on January 15, 1927 in Midland.

Almina goes on to marry Joseph Dupuis on July 27, 1929 in Lucas County, Ohio. That also ends in divorce on June 17, 1935 in Saginaw, Michigan.

Both of the last 2 divorces indicate the husband was the one who filed for the divorce and was claiming cruelty in each case. I have not yet found Almina’s death. That could be because she married a fourth time and died with that name instead. That’s pure speculation based on her record with husbands. It will probably take some courthouse research in order to determine if she did re-marry and when she died as those records are not necessarily available on the internet yet.