Ray Shively Who Lived In Daviess County, Indiana

The following articles were extracted regarding Ray Shively who lived in Washington, Daviess County, IN.  The story of young love did not end so well per the information. 

The Washington Herald, Washington, IN, Saturday, August 8, 1903, Page 1, Column 3:

Nipped In The Blossom

Boy Who Desired To Become A Groom Put In Jail To Allow His Ardor To Cool

Relatives Say That Sixteen-Year-Old Boy Was About To Elope With Small Girl

Ray Shively, a lad of sixteen years residing in the east end, was in jail today to await the cooling of his feverish desire to wed a girl of fourteen summers named May Lawrence, who resides on Crosby street.  The lad announced that he intended to marry the girl and do it quick.  Then was when the lad’s relatives spoke up in meeting and forbade the match.

The boy threatened to elope with the child and it is said preparations were made several days ago to that end but the plans were defeated by the boy’s relatives.  The would-be groom immediately started on a fresh set of plans, however, and last night Thomas Wade, a half-brother to Shively asked that the boy be placed in jail to prevent the affair.  The police arrested young Shively and confined him.  Relatives say that unless he promises to behave they will have him sent to the house of correction.  The girl is aged fourteen years and is the daughter of Kenneth Lawrence, a shop man of Cosby street while the boy lives with his mother in the east end.

This afternoon Shively signed an agreement that he would not elope with the girl, that he would obey his mother and that he would go to work and try to help her.  He was then released from jail and allowed to return home.

The Washington Herald, Washington, IN, Saturday, September 24, 1904, Page 1, Column 1:

Romantic Love Story Ends In Divorce Suit

May Shively Asks That The Court Restore Her Maiden Name

Was Married At Fourteen

The paths of love with the young and unexperienced are rough and wearsome, in the case of the story of Ray Shively’s and Martha May Lawrence’s early marriage may be taken as an ideal one.  Mrs. Shively has filed suit against her husband for divorce, charging abandonment, cruel treatment, intoxication and numerous other things.

It will be remembered that the young couple experienced quite a romantic series of troubles in their attempt to wed last fall.  The first stage of the affair was Shively’s arrest for his determination to visit the girl in spite of the objections of relatives, and his declaration at the police station that he would marry her.  He was released on a promise to resign to the inevitable fate of remaining from the house, but a few weeks later it was learned that the two had made a secret visit to Lawrenceville, Ill.  Here they were refused a license, she saying that she was fourteen years of age.  They returned to this city somewhat crestfallen, but in a few days were encouraged by the parents of the girl agreeing to go with the pair to the Illinois town and giving their personal consent.  The happy two were married, as she says in her complaint, on the 24^th of December, 1903.

Mrs. Shively says that her husband abandoned her in March and that she was compelled to live with her father.  Later he returned and the two lived together until July when they separated, she asserting that he cursed her and otherwise treated her cruelly.  She also maintains that at her age she was not capable of contracting marriage and therefore she asks that her maiden name be restored to her.

The attorneys for the plaintiff are Hastings, Allen & Hastings.

Ray Shively is listed with his parents, William and Mary E Shively on the 1900 Daviess County,  IN census.  They are listed in town of Washington, Washington Township as follows:  William Shively born Nov 1832, wife Mary E born Sept 1844, daughter Reva born March 1884, son Ray born Nov 1887 and step-daughter Dora Blakley born June 1879.  William and Mary E state they have been married 13 years which would be approximately 1887.  Mary E was Mary E Allen who was married on 28-May-1865 to Duncan Francis Wade in Daviess County, IN.  

A marriage for William Ray Shively to Louise Boettinger is recorded in Vigo County, IN.  The couple was married on 21-Aug-1907.  The parents of William Ray Shively are listed as William Shively, deceased and Mary E. Allen.  The following newspaper article regarding this event was recorded in The Washington Gazette, Washington, IN, Saturday, August 31, 1907, Page 1, Column 4:

Ray Shiveley Weds

Friends here will be surprised to learn of the wedding of Ray Shively, a former Washington boy, at Terre Haute, Wednesday evening, August 21.  His bride was Miss Louise Boettinger, a Terre Haute girl.  The ceremony was performed by the past of St. Pauls Lutheran church.  A delicious wedding supper was served the couple after the ceremony.  Those present were Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Lutes, formerly of Washington, Mrs. Boettinger, Mr. and Mrs. Will Castle, Mrs. C. C. Sanders, Mrs. C. Uphouser, Harry Boettinger, Mr. and Mrs. James Ruse, Josephine and Frank Martin.  The bride is the only daughter of Victor Boettinger of Terre Haute.  The groom is a Washington boy, having moved to Terre Haute two years ago.  He is a brakeman on the Vandalia lines between Terre Haute and St. Louis.  The couple will live at 1526 Liberty avenue, Terre Haute.

The following marriage for Ray Shively was recorded in Vigo County, IN.  Ray Shiveley was married to Marthella Farmer Denning on 27-Dec-1945.  The parents of Ray are listed as William L. Shiveley, deceased, who was born in Orange County, IN and Mary E. Wade also deceased.  Ray Shively was born 30-Nov-1887 and had been married twice before.  The information says one marriage ended in the death of the spouse and the other marriage ended in divorce. Marthella Farmer Denning also had been married twice with one marriage ending with the death of the spouse and the other marriage in divorce.