Person:Earl Prudhome (1)

On the 12th day of March 1908 , in Fayette County , Waucoma , Iowa , Elmer Claude Smothers married my grandmother , Myrtle Ella Monroe (daughter of Norman Monroe and Minnie Appleby Parker ).

To this union a son (my father ) Cecil Bert Smothers was born , 7th day of January 1909 . Elmer left Myrtle and their son when Cecil was just an infant (for reasons unknown ), never to be heard from once again .

Several years later Myrtle divorced Elmer (24th day of April 1913 ), and in the divorce decree she was granted back her maiden name of Monroe . Young Cecil was also granted the last name of Monroe . She then married a man named Paul Haus , and somewhere down the road Cecil assumed the last name of Haus (thus becoming Cecil Bert Haus ).

Meanwhile, according to personal letters and post cards , it seems young Sidney had been taken to live with Claude's brother James and his wife Maggie . Claude corresponded with them asking Maggie to find a someone to adopt "the boy ."

On the 6th day of January 1912 , he was adopted by Adoph Prudhome and his wife Margaret , in Marinette County , State of Wisconsin .