1918 A Bad Year Luther Coleman vs Eddie Coleman

Luther and Eddie's youngest daughter, Amy Victoria Coleman Beard
Photograph Courtesy of Eddie Beard

The year 1918 was a bad year for the Luther Coleman family. The family began the new year, Jan 19, with the premature birth and death of a baby boy. The eldest son shot his six year old sister, 21 Jul, after they were left alone without adult supervision. Luther Coleman, and his wife Eddie Roberts Coleman separated in December. Luther had an ongoing relationship outside of the marriage. The deaths of two children in 1918 were likely the straw that broke the camel's back in the dissolution of the marriage.

Luther Coleman married Eddie Roberts on Christmas eve, 1905, in Lincoln County, Mississippi. The couple had six children: Lula Mae, T. C., George, S. A., Amy Victoria, and Willie.

A bill of complaint was made against Eddie, 05 Mar 1920, claiming she had deserted the marriage for more than two years, lived separately from her family in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Luther wanted a divorce and the custody of his four children who were in his custody.

Three children were listed in the 1920 census living with their paternal grandmother, Amy Markham Coleman: 13-year-old Lula, eleven-year-old TC, 7-year-old George. Amy was four, maybe with her mother.

The children's grandmother died 04 Mar 1920, which likely spurred Luther to file for divorce and custody.

Eddie claimed she was not living in Bogalusa, she lived with her mother, Sallie Roberts, less than 2 miles from Luther and the children. She claimed he was cruel and inhumane, did not provide for her, and was guilty of adultery. She left her home because of inhumane treatment. She wanted to dissolve the marriage, custody of the children, alimony, and attorney fees

Luther was a farmer, with access to 53 acres. Eddie said he made large crops, which brought in good money.

Eddie, 35, was living with her mother per the 1920 census in Lincoln County.

The couple's marriage legally ended 26 Apr 1920. Eddie was granted custody of the minor children. Luther was ordered to aid in the children's support and given the right to see the children at reasonable times. He was also ordered to pay the attorney fees for Eddie's attorney.

How does the family connect to me?
Luther Coleman was the son of Anthony Coleman and Amy Markham.
Amy Markham and my great-grandfather, Monroe Markham, were siblings.

Source
Lincoln County Chancery Court Record
Case Number: 4265
Microfilm Number: 12876
Microfilm found at Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Read the newspaper article concerning S. A.'s death here, read additional information here and more here.

Darkis Goodwin vs Joseph Goodwin

Rubia Earnestine Goodwin Brown Powe
Granddaughter of Joseph and Darkis
1st Cousin of my Mother
Darkis married Joseph Goodwin about 1855 according to the customs of slavery and entered their freedom as a married couple in Copiah County, Mississippi. They didn't have a dollar to their name but manage through hard work to acquire about 600 acres of land and a well stocked supply of farm animals. Joe purchased his first land in 1869, 80 acres from Wesley L. Ainsworth for $500.

Descendants of Joseph Goodwin say he was a mean and cruel man. He had several intimate relationship with women outside of the marriage, which produced several children. He also required that the women who lived on his land submit to sexual intimacies with him. Darkis's divorce records appear to support those assertions naming two women, Martha Jenkins and Caroline Jones, as his concubines.

In 1891, the marriage fell completely apart. Darkis was about 50, she had given birth to eleven children and she had endured hard work, leaving her physically unable to provide for herself. Joe was ready to dissolve the relationship, forcing Darkis from the home by beating her unmercifully and threatening to kill her with an ax. She fled the home, never to return.

Darkis was now penniless and homeless. She realized that she and the children had worked just as hard as Joe for what they had obtained. She sought the courts for relief.

The land was legally title to only Joe, so, she would not receive relief in that area. The courts granted her $50 temporary alimony and all her legal fees would be paid by Joe. The courts recognized the couple's marriage based on Article 22 from the Mississippi Constitution of 1868.

Sec. 22. All persons who have not been married, but are now living together, cohabiting as husband and wife, shall be taken and held for all purposes in law as married, and their children, whether born before or after the ratification of this Constitution, shall be legitimate; and the Legislature may, by law, punish adultery and concubinage.

Joe and Darkis' children were: Elizabeth "Lizzie," Josephine, James, Lydia, Dinah, twins Cora and Dora, Joe, and Albert. The last four children were minors at the time of the divorce. Darkis were given custody of the twins and Joe received his sons, Joe and Albert.

My mother's aunt Alice Marshall married, Joe and Dorcas's son, James.

Joe died sometime between 1893 and 1900, Dorcas died in 1918.

Darkis fought for what was rightfully hers and won.