Every once in a while a new and surprising fact or story pops up about an ancestor when you are least expecting it. This happened to me the other day when a family member shared a photo of my 2nd great-grandmother Mariam Blass and her second husband Earl John Muckle.
This photo struck up a very interesting conversation about Mariam and her several husbands...??
As you can imagine, this information caught me off guard. I know that Mariam had been married twice, but five times...? This was worth some investigation.
According to this information, Mariam had been married five times. First to my 2nd great grandfather Martin Mark Mason. Below is a list of the men that Mariam is believed to have been married to:
- Martin Mark Mason
- Johnny Muckle
- Jim Warner
- Joe Smith
- Jim Crawford
Mariam's first marriage was to my 2nd great grandfather Martin Mark Mason when she was 141, although the record indicates she was 16, and Martin was 25 years old. They were married on June, 10th, 1893 in Superior Township, Chippewa County, Michigan.2
Martin and Mariam were married for over 37 years and had three children together.
- Agnes May Mason born in March of 1900
- Vera Ellen Mason born March 15th, 1903
- Gordon E. Mason born on June 26th, 1917
Martin passed away on September 1st, 1930 at the age of 60.
Just over two months after the death of her first husband Martin, Mariam remarried. She married Earl John "Johnny" Muckle on November 26th, 1930 in St. Ignace, Mackinac County, Michigan.3 Mariam was 52 years old.
Mariam and Johnny were married for over thirty years until Johnny's death in September of 1961.4 Earl John "Johnny" Muckle was 84 at the time of his death. This left Mariam a window for the second time at the age of 82.
Mariam's third marriage was to James H. Warner. Per a newspaper announcement I found in "The Evening News", they were married on or about November 23rd, 1964.5 Mariam was 86 and James was 95. Earlier in my research, before finding the wedding announcement, I found something interesting.
Mariam is recorded as living in the household of James Warner.6 James is 55 and divorced. Mariam is listed as a widow and working as a servant (housekeeper). We can make the assumption that this is how Mariam met Mr. James Warner.
At this point in my research, I have been unable to find any records or newspaper announcements for a marriage between Mariam and Joe Smith or Jim Crawford.
I plan to keep looking. A trip to the Chippewa County and/or Mackinac County Courthouse may be in order...
I will keep you updated and share when I am able to find more clues about the many marriages of Mariam Blass.
