Quiet but tough Blanche. She and Loyd divorce.
Blanche was un unusual and quiet person, keeping to herself and not very close to anyone by outward appearances. She had a rough childhood, suffering from discrimination for her half-Indian heritage, but she was no pushover.
Once, while traveling with Loyd’s show, the family set up tents to sleep in. Loyd had gone off for a short time, leaving the rest of the family in their temporary lodging. Suddenly a man came into one of the tents. Blanche got out a pump shotgun they carried with them and started shooting at him. Her daughter Kathleen used to say that he was last seen running for his life shouting “She shooted me, she shooted me!”
Loyd and Blanche divorced after their son Kenneth was born in 1927. Kenneth had Downs Syndrome and Loyd believed that he was the illegitimate son of Blanche and another man. This led to their divorce. Blanche did later marry the man Loyd suspected of fathering Kenneth. There was a court settlement that awarded Blanche child support, but Loyd refused to pay it. To avoid further legal and other problems with this court order, he left the D.C. area for Corydon, Indiana in 1929 or 1930.
Once, while traveling with Loyd’s show, the family set up tents to sleep in. Loyd had gone off for a short time, leaving the rest of the family in their temporary lodging. Suddenly a man came into one of the tents. Blanche got out a pump shotgun they carried with them and started shooting at him. Her daughter Kathleen used to say that he was last seen running for his life shouting “She shooted me, she shooted me!”
Loyd and Blanche divorced after their son Kenneth was born in 1927. Kenneth had Downs Syndrome and Loyd believed that he was the illegitimate son of Blanche and another man. This led to their divorce. Blanche did later marry the man Loyd suspected of fathering Kenneth. There was a court settlement that awarded Blanche child support, but Loyd refused to pay it. To avoid further legal and other problems with this court order, he left the D.C. area for Corydon, Indiana in 1929 or 1930.
posted by Steve | 11:00 AM
6 Comments:
I never heard that story of why they divorced. Thanks for sharing this one and hope you will record more of these little known facts. At least it was not known by me.
Grandma was 17 when Kenneth was born and married to Grandpa. Do we have any other information about him and did Grandma have a relationship with him?
I don't have much information on Grandma's relationship with Kenneth. I do have a couple photos of Grandma with Kenneth. The information that I have came from your mom and Kit.
Mom brought back some distance memories I have of him when Blanche moved to Hollywood, Fla and married Tony. I vaguely remember visiting them...they lived in a little trailer behind Alberta's house. When Blanche died, Tony didn't want the responsibility of Kenny's care and Alberta & Helen had a huge disbute over who would take care of him, now in his twenties. The sisters wanted Grandma to care for him but she was also unable as she was working in DC. He was put in a nursing home in Hollywood, Florida, where he died, my Mom thinks in his thirties. She says Diane (Mytle's daughter) would have more information as she visited him right up until he died, but Mom has lost contact with her. Mom also told me, there is no evidence Kenny wasn't Loyd's son and she believes he was. She said Grandma stayed with her Dad for several weeks before he died, hoping he would regain consciousness and reveal some information but he didn't.
Interesting stuff. Thanks for posting it.
I consider this more evidence of how hard it is to document a definitive history of someone. Memories fade or otherwise play tricks on us, or perhaps they are razor sharp - but which recollection/story do you trust? Which do you report? It's like the story that Grandad insisted was true of the James River (He used to insist that the river was named after settlers who were our ancestors (the James family), from when they helped settle the James-River valley. I find no evidence of this, but I can point to evidence that the famous river was named after King James of England. Grandad would insist, I am certain, that I am wrong.)
I suppose I will change my records on Kenneth, and just leave his birth-parents a mystery. It does make one wonder about Loyd's non-involvement in the care of Kenny. Of course, one also has to wonder about Tony feeling likewise.
Steve
That's why Mom doesn't believe Tony is the Father because he wouldn't care for Kenneth after Blanche died.
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