APPLEBACH, TAYLOR Z & MAY V or P (GROFF) - DIVORCE 1920
Taylor & May married in 1909. I remember his nasty temper - it apparently did not improve with age. In 1920, physical abuse was not a usual reason for granting a divorce to the woman, so my thought is that the abuse was very severe. I find it interesting that his mother wrote a statement about the abuse he dished out to May.
I do not know all the details but one of Grandma Garner (Reba) first cousins and I went to clean family tombstones in the fall of 1986, and he told me that when Taylor & Jennie lived in Conestoga he lived across the road. Apparently the Applebach house had a large window in the living room and he saw Taylor push Jennie thru the glass window. So I have to think that abusive behavior to his wives (maybe children as well) was a normal action of his.
None of his children actually do use or have used the term "abuse" when describing Pop, however, they say or have said things such as "not nice", "mean", "yelled a lot", and "didn't love us" . None of the children wanted to live with him and did whatever was necessary to leave home as soon as possible. The daughters resented having to help care for him when he was older.
(Source of documents: Lancaster Archives)
Click on images to make them large enough to read.
12/7/2018: An interesting (at least to me) side note to this is that I have only been able to track down one Mamie Groff and she was the daughter of Noah and Ella (Wood) Groff. This Mamie was born in 1888 (so only 2 years younger than Taylor). If this Mamie is the correct one, she is descended through Martin and Anna (Kendig) Groff who was another son of "Swamp" John and Catherine (Eschleman) Groff - meaning she would have been an distant relation to me on my maternal side. Is Lancaster County the only place that family trees are so twisted and turned?
I do not know all the details but one of Grandma Garner (Reba) first cousins and I went to clean family tombstones in the fall of 1986, and he told me that when Taylor & Jennie lived in Conestoga he lived across the road. Apparently the Applebach house had a large window in the living room and he saw Taylor push Jennie thru the glass window. So I have to think that abusive behavior to his wives (maybe children as well) was a normal action of his.
None of his children actually do use or have used the term "abuse" when describing Pop, however, they say or have said things such as "not nice", "mean", "yelled a lot", and "didn't love us" . None of the children wanted to live with him and did whatever was necessary to leave home as soon as possible. The daughters resented having to help care for him when he was older.
(Source of documents: Lancaster Archives)
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| Pg. 8 - May's statement |
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| Pg. 9 - Elizabeth Applebach's statement |
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| Pg. 10 |
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| Pg. 11 |
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| Pg. 13 |
Click on images to make them large enough to read.
12/7/2018: An interesting (at least to me) side note to this is that I have only been able to track down one Mamie Groff and she was the daughter of Noah and Ella (Wood) Groff. This Mamie was born in 1888 (so only 2 years younger than Taylor). If this Mamie is the correct one, she is descended through Martin and Anna (Kendig) Groff who was another son of "Swamp" John and Catherine (Eschleman) Groff - meaning she would have been an distant relation to me on my maternal side. Is Lancaster County the only place that family trees are so twisted and turned?
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