Illinois Marriage Licenses for Kentucky Couples 1928

Hardin County, Illinois has long been the destination for Kentucky couples wanting to marry. The Illinois marriage laws were such that they could cross the Ohio River, get married and be home again before their parents knew they had been gone. The local, weekly newspaper, the Hardin County Independent, faithfully reported the names, home towns and ages of those obtaining a license to marry. The date listed above the names is the newspaper issue in which the license appeared. It is not hard to see that in cold weather – or perhaps when the river was high – fewer couples made the trip across the river. The licenses were obtained during 1928.

[5 Jan 1928]

Fred Reithel of Rosiclare  and Miss Gladys Franks of Rosiclare married  Monday by  Rev. Connett, pastor M.E. Church, [1]

[ 8 Mar 1928]  

Coy Tabor of Crittenden, KY, age 21 and Lena McFall of Salem, KY, age 18

J.C. Hurley of Sheridan, KY, age 26 and Ellen Levy of Sheridan, KY, age 19

 [15 Mar 1928]

Lee Davision of Tolu, KY, age 62 and Martha A. Crabb of Rosiclare, age 48

28 June 1928]

Freeman F. Shewmaker of Marion, KY, age 24 and Frances Perryman of Marion, KY, age 19

[19 July 1928]

Luthern Vinson of Marion, KY, age 21 and Hazel Farley of Marion, KY, age 18

Sylvan Brown of Sheridan, KY, age 21 and Ileen Franks of Sheridan, KY, age 19

Andrew E. Maynard of Sheridan, KY, age 32 and Edna Brown of Sheridan, KY, age 20

[26 July 1928]

Earl Lynn of Sheridan, KY, age 22 and Wilma Sullenger of Tolu, KY, age 19

Geo. G. Glore of Marion, KY, age 36 and Louise Dunbar of Princeton, KY, age 19

[9 Aug 1928]

Lonnie Damron of Lola, KY, age 21 and Eulah Myrick of Lola, KY, age 18

[6 Sep 1928]

Clifford Davis of Sheridan, KY, age 22 and Miss Ruth Harness of Sheridan, KY, age 22

Earl Vaughn of E’town, IL, age 21 and Valier Davisson of Tolu, KY, age 18

Carlos Campbell of Marion, KY, age 22 and Rose Wade of Marion, KY, age 18

[20 Sep 1928]

C.E. Moreland of Marion, KY, age 21 and Mary Threlkeld of Sheridan, KY, age 21

Gradie N. Hodge of Salem, KY, age 29 and Cleato Clark of Salem, KY, age 17

[4 Oct 1928]

Raymon Vinson of Fredonia, KY, age 22 and Hazel Booker of Fredonia, KY, age 18

[18 Oct 1928]

Elias Doom –of Katatowa, KY [Kuttawa?], age 21 and Lucy Brasher of Katatowa, KY, age 18

Charles Brasher of Katatowa, age 21 and Carrie Belle Travis of Fredonia, KY, age 21

[15 Nov 1928]

David Lee Winters of Mexico, KY, age 21 and Willie C. Patterson of Marion, KY, age 18

Clarence W. Moore of Joy, KY, age 21 and Blanch Bessie Carr of Joy, KY, age 24

[6 Dec 1928]

Virgil Farley of Marion, KY, age 21 and Lucile Farmer of Marion, KY, age 20

Allie M. Bennett of Dycusburg, KY, age 21 and Mary L. Cassidy of Dycusburg, KY, age 18

[20 Dec 1928]

Lissie Nichols of Tolu, KY and Miss Maggie Gullett of Elizabethtown. Married 24 Sep 1893.

[3 Jan 1929]

Curtis Canada of Fredonia, KY, age 23 and Miss Zola Caroway of Princeton, KY, age 19

Orville Driver of Carrsville, KY, age 24 and May Simmons of Carrsville, KY, age 18

Wyatt Priest of Marion, KY, age 22 and Geneva Paris of Marion, KY, age 18

Clifford Cooper of Salem, KY, age 21 and Macie Corn of Salem, KY, age 19

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[1] Hardin County, Independent (Elizabethtown, IL), Thurs., 5 Jan 1928, p. 2.  The 1900 Crittenden County, KY census, Tolu, p. 14, E.D. 0034 shows Gladys Franks, daughter, born May 1895, living in the household headed by Robert M. Franks, born June 1859.

Published 8 Oct 2020, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Illinois Marriages of Kentucky Couples 1923

Elizabethtown, Hardin County, Illinois has long been a popular destination for Kentucky couples wanting to get married. Illinois marriage laws were such that the couple could cross the river, get married and be home again before the parents were even aware the couple had tied the knot. These marriages were usually reported in the weekly Hardin County newspaper, the Independent. The following marriage notices are from 1923.

Clarence Nesly and Miss Verna Holloman, both of Marion, Ky, were married at E'town Monday January 8th. Esq. James Manhart officiating.  [11 Jan 1923, p. 3]

Mr. Vick [1] of Marion, Ky and Mrs. Rose Frayser were married recently in Shawneetown. We wish them much joy.  [18 Jan 1923, p. 2]

Married at the Birch Hotel, Sunday, February the 18th, Della Watson of Carrsville, Ky, and Miss Ethel Riley of Livingston [County], Ky. Rev. E.W. Scarber officiating.  [22 Feb 1923, p. 2]

On Sunday Goebel Pearson, age 21 and Miss Arley Singleton, age 18, both of Lola, Ky, came over to Elizabethtown and after securing the necessary permit from county clerk Hurford, called into service Police Magistrate J.A. Oxford, who pronounced them husband and wife.  [1 Mar 1923, p. 2]

Oscar Day, aged 22, and Miss Martha Yoles, age 18, both of Caseyville, Ky, were united in marriage at Elizabethtown, Ill., Friday March 23rd, J.A. Manhart, Esquire officiating.  [29 Mar 1923, p. 1]

James McDonald, age 55, and Lillie Lowless, aged 31, both of Carrsville, Ky, were married by Rev. Scarber Sunday, March 25th.  [29 Mar 1923, p. 1]

Marriage License since our last report:  Albert Lane, age 27, of Carrsville, Ky and Lemma Vick, age 19, of Carrsville, Ky.   [3 May 1923, p. 3]

Marriage Licenses:  Herman Bigham, age 21, of Sturgis, Ky and Nannie L. Dean, 19, of Sturgis, Ky. Also Floyd King, age 28 of Marion, Ky and Mildred Kaylor, age 21 of Rosiclare, Ill.  [17 May 1923, p. 2]

George Nichols, age 24 of Rosiclare, Ill., and Bessie Monroe, age 18, of Lola, Ky, were married at the County Clerk's office, Tuesday evening, July 17th. Police Magistrate J.A. Oxford officiating.  [19 Jul 1923, p. 2]

Weddings of the Week:  Wm. Shadowens of Crittenden [County], Ky, and Miss Flora Scarbough of Tiline, Ky, were married by Police Magistrate J.A. Oxford Sunday, August 12th, also W.E. Woodsell of Marion, Ky and Miss Clyde Orren of Lexington, Ky, Squire Oxford officiating.  Ray Lynch of Crittenden [County], Ky and Miss Carrie Rogers of Tolu, Ky were married at the County Clerk's office, E'town, Saturday evening, August 11th, Judge E.N. Hall officiating.  [16 Aug 1923, p. 2]

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[1] 1930 Hardin County, Illinois census, Cave-In-Rock, p. 1, E.D. 0002, Ancestry.com. Lee E. Vick, age 59, born Kentucky, wife Rosie J. Vick, age 56, born Illinois, son Carl C. Frayser, age 34 and daughter-in-law Georgia Frayser, age 21. Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths Index 1916-1947 shows his name as Leonidas Vick at the time of his death on 20 Dec 1937 at the age of 65.

Published 21 Nov 2019, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

153rd Anniversary of Reddick and Mary Ann Smith

On the 153rd anniversary of the marriage of my great-grandparents, I am re-publishing a post marking their anniversary from three years ago. Since that post was published, several of us who descend from this couple have had a tombstone erected to mark the burial place of Mary Ann. Research on Reddick and Mary Ann continues.


On this day 150 years ago, Mary Ann Wolstenholme and Reddick Smith stood before Henry Holt, a justice of the peace, and promised to love, honor and cherish each other for the rest of their lives. There were no guarantees their lives would be easy and hardships were almost certain.

Born in 1842 in Gallatin County, Illinois, Reddick Smith enlisted in Co. F, 131st Illinois Volunteer Infantry. After leaving a hospital in Millikin's Bend, Louisiana without permission, he was captured by the Confederates and sent to Richmond, Virginia before being paroled in July 1863. Later he enlisted in Co. G, 6th Illinois Cavalry and participated in the Battle of Nashville on 15 December 1864. After the war, Reddick left his company in Alabama and returned home to southern Illinois. Yes, he deserted again. The charge of desertion was later removed from his records by the War Department.

Reddick settled in Goodlettsville, Davidson County, where Mary Ann was living. On 2 August 1866, he used a coin and hammered it over a rod to form a ring and placed this ring on Mary Ann's finger.  I wear this ring today. 

Reddick and Mary Ann had 14 children: Rebeckah, Edna, Susannah, Henry Clay, Sarah, Caroline, Mary Beatrice (my grandmother), Francis, Giles, Earl, Morgan, Herman, Edward and an unnamed child who died as an infant. Nine of these children lived to adulthood.

Reddick and Mary Ann stayed in Tennessee until after 1870 and then moved with their three children, Rebeckah, Edna and Susannah,  to Hardin County, Illinois. Except for a brief stay in the state of Washington in the early 1900s, the Smith family remained in Hardin County. Reddick died there 14 April 1913 and Mary Ann died 7 January 1933. Both are buried at Central Cemetery.

Reddick and Mary Ann are among my favorite ancestors and have been the most interesting to research. One of my current projects involves getting a Tombstone to mark Mary Ann's grave.

Published 2 August 2019, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday - Across the Ohio River

The view from beside the Rose Hotel gazebo in Elizabethtown, Hardin County, Illinois, looking across the Ohio River to Crittenden County, Kentucky. Photographed 27 July 2009.

Wordless Wednesday - Hardin County, Illinois Courthouse

Many western Kentucky couples crossed the Ohio River to marry in one of the Illinois courthouses. Above is the Hardin County, Illinois courthouse in Elizabethtown, which is directly across the Ohio River from Crittenden County.

The photograph was taken on 27 July 2009.