Squabble over a Sewing Machine as Mr. Neer Goes Too Far, 

Divorce in Williams County, Ohio, 1868

By

Pamela Pattison Lash

The wife had property that belonged to her such as a colt, a wagon, sheep, a heifer, chairs, a cook stove, and a sewing machine.  When her husband threatened to take these things and put them in the hands of another she became alarmed.  When he beat her with a boot she took notice.  When he left her to fend for herself and their child, she made a trip to Bryan and filed for divorce.  This is the case of Mr. Neer going too far (away).

            Abraham Eden Neer, parentage unknown, was born in 1842, OH.  Abraham enlisted in Co G 68^th OVI on 13 Dec 1861 and was promoted to full corporal on 1 Apr 1863.  He was wounded at Champion Hills, MS on 16 May 1863; later he advanced to the rank of sergeant on 1 Nov 1864 and was mustered out of the service on 10 July 1865 at Louisville, KY. 

            He married Sarah A. Moore in Camden, Hillsdale Co, MI on 24 June 1866.  Sarah, parentage unknown, would become the mother of JB Neer (gender unknown) sometime between 1866-Nov 1868 when Sarah filed for divorce in the Williams County, Ohio Civil and Criminal Court (Roll 19 case number 123).  Wms Co, OH records show a daughter, Cora L, born 5 Nov 1872, NW Twp to Abraham Neer and Mary S. Hassie (Births V1 p45).   The 1880 California, Branch Co, MI federal census, p524A, listed Abram E. Neer 38 OH peddler, Mary S 30 OH, and Cora L 7 MI.  There is evidence that this is the errant ex-husband who left on 4 Nov 1867, threatening to take all the above mentioned goods and chattel and deposit them with George Neer, while he, Abram, traveled to Bay City, MI.  The court granted Sarah Neer a divorce. 

            There was another Neer divorce in this county, dealing with George S. Neer, the son of Eden and Phebe Neer.  George, b1852, Wms Co, OH, married Mary Saloma Neidhart on 16 Nov 1872, Wms Co (Marriages V4 p249).  Mary, the daughter of Jacob and Saloma Neidhart, was born c1855, OH; her parents were early settlers of Center Twp.  The Neers were the parents of at least three children, all born in Center Twp, Lila Gertrude (11 May 1874), Cora E (28 Aug 1876), and William B (10 Feb 1882).  In Apr 1876 Mary S. Neer stated in court (Roll 30 case number 36) that George had abandoned her and daughter Lila Gertrude on 4 Apr 1876 and had left them without money for food or clothing.  Note that Mary was pregnant at this time. George had real estate and personal property that Mary wanted.  The court dismissed the case without any reasons (probably due to her pregnancy) and the couple remained married.  They were enumerated in the 1880 Center Twp federal census, p614A as George S. 28 OH, Mary S 26 OH, Gertrude 6 OH, Cora E 4 OH, and Phebe M 1 OH.  Whether they remained a couple after the birth of their son William or any other particulars of this couple is unknown.

            When Mary's father, Jacob Nihart, died on 4 May 1883 @55Y 6M 2D in Wms Co (Deaths V2 p22), Jacob left a will that was witnessed by Mary's father-in-law, Eden Neer.  Saloma Nihart, Mary's mother, died on 19 Apr 1889 @56Y 6M 11D and was buried beside her husband in Brown Cemetery, Center Twp.

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