Individual Details

Bessie Ethel Townsend

(19 May 1887 - 16 May 1980)

Bessie said that Verne left his family after nine years of marriage, which would have been in 1918. The divorce decree dated 20 January 1920 gave Bessie custody of the children, but permitted Verne to visit them and to have them with him during summer vacations. Bessie renounced her rights to Verne's property. She was to have received child support according to a complicated formula which appears to give her $2400 total over a four year period. After this amount was paid she was to return Verne's promissory note of $600. Bessie later told her son that Verne paid a grand total of $50. Then she never heard from him again.

Events

Birth19 May 1887Atlas, Genesee County, Michigan
Marriage25 Aug 1909Flint, Genesee County, Michigan - Verne Glenn Ivory
Census (family)15 Apr 1910Hadley, Lapeer County, Michigan - Verne Glenn Ivory
Census (family)-shared12 Jan 1920(George Frederick Townsend and Helen Luzella Ellison) Atlas, Genesee County, Michigan
Marriage23 Nov 1923Michigan - George Hutton Hemingway
Death16 May 1980Flint, Genesee County, Michigan
DivorceVerne Glenn Ivory
BurialEvergreen Cemetery, Grand Blanc, Genesee County, Michigan

Families

SpouseVerne Glenn Ivory (1886 - 1952)
ChildGuinevere Ellen Ivory (1911 - 1981)
ChildVerne Grier Ivory (1914 - 2013)
SpouseGeorge Hutton Hemingway (1885 - 1961)
FatherGeorge Frederick Townsend (1840 - 1925)
MotherHelen Luzella Ellison (1849 - 1930)
SiblingMary Ellen Townsend (1870 - 1947)
SiblingMabel Luzella Townsend (1883 - )
SiblingEmma Blanche Townsend (1885 - 1944)
SiblingWayne Frederick Townsend (1891 - 1975)

Notes

Marriage

At this time Verne was a druggist, and Bessie was a school teacher.

Census (family)

Verne G Ivory Head M 23 Michigan - Pharmacist, drug store
Bessie E Ivory Wife F 22 Michigan

Census (family)-shared

George F Townsend Head M 79 New York
Helen L TownsendWifeF70Michigan
Bessie E IvoryDaughterF32Michigan - Teaching school
Guinevere N IvoryGranddaughterF8Michigan
V Grier IvoryGrandsonM5Michigan

Endnotes

1. M. S. Reizen Director of Michigan Depart. of Health, State of Michigan Delayed Certificate of Birth, State File Number D228 192.

2. Genesee County Clerk, Bessie Townsend/Verne Ivory Marriage, 25 Aug 1909, State Record #8656.

3. Genesee County Clerk, Verne Ivory/Bessie Townsend marriage 25 Aug 1909, Vol. 7, page 237,#8656.

4. "Michigan, Marriages, 1822-1995," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FCCK-TJ6 : accessed 14 Aug 2013), E. H. Ivory in entry for Verne G. Ivory and Bessie E. Townsend, 25 Aug 1909..

5. "Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3VT-PQP : accessed 14 Aug 2013), E. D. Ivory in entry for Vern G. Ivory and Bessie E. Townsend, 25 Aug 1909..

6. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLR9-33R : accessed 6 November 2017), Verne G Ivory, Hadley, Lapeer, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 42, sheet 1B, family 22, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 659; FHL microfilm 1,374,672..

7. "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ3M-DTX : accessed 13 October 2017), V Grier Ivory in household of George F Townsend, Atlas, Genesee, Michigan, United States; citing ED 2, sheet 6A, line 11, family 152, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 766; FHL microfilm 1,820,766..

8. Registrar, State of Michigan Certificate of Death.

9. MEMORIAL ID  67445196.