William Henry Van Velson1,2,3

Family Chart
ID# 18120, (1858 - )
FatherAbner R. Van Velson1,4 (abt 1839 - )
MotherJoanna Reagen1,4 (abt 1842 - )

Key Events:

Birth: Nov 1858, Illinois5,6,7
Marriage: 24 Dec 1882, Melvin, McLean Co., Illinois, Laura Ann Wise (4 Oct 1862 - 17 Feb 1941)8,9,10
Marriage: 7 Oct 1907, Cherokee Co., Iowa, Ida Prentice (about 1864 - )11,12

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

     William Henry Van Velson was born in Nov 1858 in Illinois.5,6,7 He appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Orange Prairie, Peoria Co., Illinois, in the household of his parents, Abner R. Van Velson and Joanna Reagen.13 He appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of La Prairie, Marshall Co., Illinois, in the household of his parents.14
     William married first Laura Ann Wise, daughter of Simon P. Wise and Sarah Keith, on 24 Dec 1882 in Melvin, McLean Co., Illinois.8,9,10
     William appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Luverne, Rock Co., Minnesota, in the household of Leander T. Wise and Ida Perry, his wife's brother and his wife.15
     William married second Ida Prentice, daughter of Harlow B. Prentice and Sophia A. Russell, on 7 Oct 1907 in Cherokee Co., Iowa.11,12
     On 20 Oct 1908 William was convicted of bigamy in district court in Le Mars, Iowa. He had been charged with marrying his second wife, Ida, a widow in Kingsley, Iowa, without having divorced his first wife, Laura, in Illinois. A newspaper account reported that his first wife fainted in court and the second one barely kept from swooning. He had been caught in Valentine, Nebraska, after his second wife's suspicions had been raised after an invitation to his daughter's high school graduation arrived.16
     William appeared on the 1925 State Census of Lincoln, Mahaska Co., Iowa, in the household of his cousin, Charles A. Van Velson and his wife Vesta. He is shown as having lived in Iowa 20 years. Strangely, he is shown as having lived in the U.S. only 45 of his 65 years. Had he lived outside the U.S. for a time, or was this simply a mistake?17
     He was a locomotive engineer in 1900, but no other record of his occupation has been found, save that in 1925 he reported he was "engaged in agricultural pursuits" while living with his cousin in Iowa.15,17

Children:
     Children with Laura Ann Wise:

Children:
     There were no children with Ida Prentice

Citations

  1. [S3682] "Iowa, Marriages, 1780-1992," FamilySearch.org, record for William Henry Van Velson and Ida Prentice Henderson, citing FHL #1035292 and p. 200 - 4030.
  2. [S3462] "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," FamilySearch.org, record for Laura Ann Wise Van Velson, citing FHL #1832580 and pg 38 cert no 10547, shows name as William H. Van Velson.
  3. [S3683] Abner Vanvelson household, 1870 U.S. Census, Marshall Co., Illinois, shows name as Henry Vanvelson.
  4. [S3683] Abner Vanvelson household, 1870 U.S. Census, Marshall Co., Illinois, shows them apparently living as parent and child.
  5. [S3685] Lee T. Wise household, 1900 U.S. Census, Rock Co., Minnesota, shows month, year, age 41, and state.
  6. [S3684] Abner Vanvelen household, 1860 U.S. Census, Peoria Co., Illinois, shows age 1 and state.
  7. [S3683] Abner Vanvelson household, 1870 U.S. Census, Marshall Co., Illinois, shows age 11 and state.
  8. [S3688] "Wife of Bigamist Swoons," The Rockford Republic, 20 Oct 1908, shows date, as 24 Dec, town, as Melvin, county, and state.
  9. [S63] "Ancestral File," FamilySearch.org, records for William H Van Velson, afn 1NCF-BGX, and Laura Ann Wise, afn 1NCF-BH5, shows date, as 20 Oct, township, county, and state.
  10. [S3676] Laura A. VanVilson household, 1900 U.S. Census, Ford Co., Illinois, shows married 16 years, but no husband is present.
  11. [S3682] "Iowa, Marriages, 1780-1992," FamilySearch.org, record for William Henry Van Velson and Ida Prentice Henderson, citing FHL #1035292 and p. 200 - 4030, shows date, county, and state.
  12. [S3688] "Wife of Bigamist Swoons," The Rockford Republic, 20 Oct 1908, shows year, 1906.
  13. [S3684] Abner Vanvelen household, 1860 U.S. Census, Peoria Co., Illinois.
  14. [S3683] Abner Vanvelson household, 1870 U.S. Census, Marshall Co., Illinois.
  15. [S3685] Lee T. Wise household, 1900 U.S. Census, Rock Co., Minnesota.
  16. [S3688] "Wife of Bigamist Swoons," The Rockford Republic, 20 Oct 1908.
  17. [S3687] Fredrick M. Kingery household, 1925 Iowa State Census, Mahaska Co., Iowa, Lincoln.
  18. [S3462] "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," FamilySearch.org, record for Laura Ann Wise Van Velson, citing FHL #1832580 and pg 38 cert no 10547, shows him as Laura's husband, and the girl has surname Van Velson.
  19. [S13253] Glabe, Bertha, The PantagraphBertha, 31 Jan 1965.