Boy, Grandma sure could pick 'em!

From what I can piece together from things my Mom told me (I still have a good memory) this is as close to the truth I can find, right now. Unless someone who knows, the torrid details, would tell me and you and I know, that isn't going to happen.

So, Mabel, my grandmother was an attractive woman - I believe she had some mental illness or something going on because she never lived with her first husband, Mr. Hasenstab. Or maybe she was just a royal bitch. Sometimes, I even wonder if they were ever really married. I have not been able to find marriage or divorce records. That's another tale. My mom told me many men used to want to date my Grandma - and some had it real bad for her. 

Grandma lived in Dayton Ohio. She had a thing for the military. My mom told me she at one time, she was a seamstress at a sewing factory and would occasionally sew a penny in the pocket of military uniforms. Heck, she could have even placed her home address in one of them for all I know, because in 1931. Charles Monroe Leach came to live in Dayton at the U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (Central Branch) when he was 41 years old. I do not know at this time what his disability was. 

Married in 1913 - records show that Mrs. Leach was with "child" when they married and a son was born to them 5 months later! Charley was from a different town in Ohio - his family came from Jackson County, a good 100+ miles from Dayton. 

I am unable to find a census for 1930 or 1940 for him. I did find a Charles Leach (birthday was off by a couple of years) that was in prison, in Dayton Ohio. Still checking into that. On his WWII "Old Man's Draft" Registration Card, it showed in 1940, he was living at the National Hotel in Dayton. 

My mom had told me that one time when she revealed that Hasenstab wasn't her bio-dad, that she had met her father and he was nice. Of course then a few days later, she told me to forget about it and that it wasn't true. That Hasenstab was her father.  (Except she said his first name was Peter and he was a member of the IRA and he was wanted.)  WHATEVER, Mom. I don't know if her Mom told her that or what - just an all-around bizarre story. 

So in 1940, he was living in Dayton and my Mom was born in 1934. The connection is undeniably there. Unfortunately, he died in December 1949. I know, my mom said she worked as a candy striper at the Veterans Hospital in Dayton. 

I love being a super sleuth.

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Yes, you read that right - Bastard Grandchildren

My 3rd Great-Grandmother - age 6
listed along with baby brother as Bastard Grandchildren. 

Times have surely changed and in many ways, for the best. I came across an 1880 census - which listed my 3rd great-grandmother as head of the house. She was listed as a widow. She was 57. In her household at that time, was my 2nd great-grandmother, age 36. as well as my 1st great-grandmother at age of 6. There also was a baby boy of 6 mos of age listed. What blows me away, is the census taker, took the liberty to list my 1st great-grandmother and her 6 mos old sibling, as "bastard grandchildren."

I kid you NOT. 

You will have to zoom in to see it.

Look for Mary Ann Anthony.  lines 22 and 23.

I was dumbfounded. Not because of 2nd gr-grandmas indiscretion, but how society JUDGED and LABELED innocent children. Like why does the US government need to know that? I have looked through many census reports and have not seen that written before. Was it just the census taker?

It's a good thing, the census taker is dead. I feel bad, that a secret was recorded without any knowledge that it would be revealed a few generations down the line.

Here's a good read: Illegitimacy: the shameful secret



United States Census, 1880
District ED 145
Sheet Number and Letter 349A
Household ID 5843559
Affiliate Name The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number T9
Affiliate Film Number 1049
GS Film Number 1255049
Digital Folder Number 005161989
Image Number 00755






















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