Person:Elmer Smothers (1)

FA1: ABT 1910, Abandoned 2nd wife Myrtle and their son Cecil Smothers. _FA2: 1912, Signed adoption papers for his first son, Claude Elmer, in Marinette, WI _FA3: 1912-1943, Rumored to have lived in Minnesota & Chicago, IL

Born in Clayton County , Iowa Circa November 1897 , to James A . Smothers and Elizabeth Josephine Swisher (Daughter of Benjamin Lafayette Swisher , and Sarah Jane Day ).

Besides his half brother William John Smothers , and half sister Mary E . Smothers , Claude had five other siblings . James Smothers , Jr ., Mary A . Smothers , George A . Smothers , Sarah Smothers , and Oliver Bertsel Smothers .

According to Grant Smothers (son of William John Smothers ), Claude was left handed . He also told me that Claude was an old time fiddle player , and a "Darn good one at that ." I had also been told that he always had a "fancy " horse drawn buggy .

At the age of twenty-three he married Bertha Westpfahl (daughter of John Westpfahl and Dora Held ), on the 8 day of September 1904 . Bertha was then 18 years of age . They were married in Windsor Township , Fayette County , Iowa . In the 1905 census for Fayette County Claude and Bertha were living in Hawkeye , Iowa .

On the 1st day of June 1906 , a son , Sidney Earl Smothers was born . Bertha died when Sidney was just an infant /toddler (date has not yet been discovered ), and Claude took his young son to live with his half brother William and his family .

I was told by Grant Smothers that Claude came one rainy night in the Fall (in a horse drawn buggy ), and took "Earl " (as Grant called him ), never to be seen again (at least by Grant ).

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 A . Prudhome and his wife Margaret , in Marinette County , State of Wisconsin .

The letter Claude wrote to Maggie was postmarked February 8, 1911 from St . Paul Park , Minnesota . Mailed to Mrs . Maggie Smothers , Mt Hope , Wisconsin . In the letter Claude stated that he was going to Chicago to become a policeman . During my interview with Grant Smothers (8-5-1986 ) he told me that he had heard "Elmer " had quit drinking and went to Minneapolis , Minnesota to become a policeman . Also during this interview he stated that he thought Elmer died in 1943. However he did not know for certain .

Where did he go ? Is there another family after his marriage /divorce from Myrtle ? When , where , and how did he die ? Hopefully someday we will find the key to unlock this mystery.

Submitted by Judy Smith (Nee Haus )