Leta divorces Ora Freeman

During my Christmas visit to Ohio, I spent a short time at the Lucas County Courthouse in a successful search to find divorce documents for Leta and her third and fourth husbands, Ora Freeman and Leech Hoose respectfully. In my previous trip, I was able to learn the marriage date of Leta to Leech. I already had her marriage date to Ora and her marriage to husband number five Robert Fields. To strengthen the timeline for the novel, I hoped to acquire the divorce dates. (Robert Fields was not divorced; he died.)

Like all of my research, this experience shared its own surprises. In fact, it even altered the timeline I have been developing, albeit slightly.

Leta field for divorce from Ora Freeman on July 2, 1928, merely seven months after marrying him on December 27, 1927. Her petition was filed by attorney Mary E. Gillen.

The petition states: “Plaintiff says that the defendant is guilty of gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty in that he has failed and refused to support and maintain her and abuses and maltreats her, assaults, beats and threatens her with bodily harm and threatened to burn and destroy her property and will do so unless enjoined by this court.”

This seems basically typical, aside for the burning and destroying of property part, which is a little bit curious since a second document indicates that Leta has no property. More fascinating to me is that Leta names a second defendant in the filing, Alfred Hayward, who is listed as living at the same address as Leta’s soon-to-be former husband Ora.

“Plaintiff further says that the defendant, Alfred Hayward has monies and credits and wages in his possession belonging to the defendant, Ora L. Freeman and she asks that he be restrained from paying him any monies until further order of this court.”

In my estimation, this makes Mr. Hayward either a work colleague or boss of Ora. Some additional research about Mr. Hayward is now on the schedule.

Leta further asks for alimony (which she didn’t from her first husband Ralph Chetister) and that Ora “be enjoined from further molesting her or coming to her home.” This indicates that he most likely made several threatening and/or suppliant visits.

Included in the documents is an order to the Sheriff of Lucas County to notify Ora that he was being sued that was to be delivered by August 6, 1928. Another document confirms that the Sheriff delivered the summons to Ora on August 6. However, yet another document (unfortunately with its date cut off in the microfilm) notes that there were at least two attempts to deliver the summons to Ora. The first time “Ora L. Freeman could not be found by me in Lucas County, Ohio. The summons was delivered to Alfred Hayward on July 25.

In addition to filing for divorce, Leta filed an Affidavit of Poverty on July 23, 1928 that states she “is without sufficient financial means to prepay or give security for costs in said action. Affiant further states that she has no money with which to pay the costs in said action: that she has no real or personal property with which to secure the payment of said costs that may accrue, nor is she able to give a bond or any other security to cover said costs as provided by law.”

This affidavit contains some contradictory information about property. How could Ora threaten to burn or destroy Leta’s property if she had none? This could mean where she was currently living.

On February 23, 1929, the judge granted Leta’s divorce. However, there is a most curious introduction to the filing:

“This day this cause came on to be heard and was submitted upon the petition and the evidence, and upon application is the court directing the Sheriff to amend his return to conform with the facts the court finds that the defendant has been duly and personally served by the Sheriff according to law and that by inadvertence the Sheriff made an improper and incorrect return and the court finds that the defendant has been served as required by law and directs that the Sheriff amend and correct his return to show personal and proper service upon the defendant herein.”

From my perspective, this could mean many things, most notably that Ora Freeman never showed up for any of the court dates, and Leta’s divorce was granted without his appearance or defending himself.

In any case, Leta was granted her divorce from Ora on February 23, 1929: “the marriage contract heretofore existing between the said Leta Freeman and Ora L. Freeman be, and the same hereby is, dissolved, and both parties are released from the obligation of the same.”

Eight days later (March 3, 1929), Leta married Leech Hoose in an adjacent county.