The Hyphen Family Lineage

Note: the marriages of Alice Nettie Dille, Rufus Adam Miller, and Samuel Martin Knee

In my searches for records for Rufus' family history, I found multiple marriage records that all seem to apply to the same bride (Alice) and both her husbands, all in a short span of years.

The first record I have found for Alice is for her first marriage to Samuel M. Knee on 8 Nov 1885 in Andrews, Huntington Cty, Indiana. This record names her Alice N. Dille, aged eighteen, with her birthplace given as Huntington Cty and her parents named John Dille and Mary Andrews. The marriage is listed as Alice's first, and Samuel's second; he'd previously married Emma M. Ashley in Huntington Cty on 18 Sep 1884, though whether this ended in divorce or her death is uncertain at this point.

Next are records for Alice's marriage to Samuel dated 18 Jan 1892 in Huntington Cty, naming her both Alice Knee and (formerly) Alice Dille. One record indicates this is a third marriage for Samuel (aged thirty-seven) and a second marriage for Alice (aged twenty-four). Her birthplace is given as Illinois, and her parents named as John W. Dille and Mary Andrews.

The next event appears to be Alice's marriage to Rufus Miller on 10 Nov 1899 (interestingly, with the marriage license apparently dated 10 Jun 1899) in Huntington Cty. This record names her "Allice N. Knee," but does not give any further information about the two of them.

Following just months later is the 1900 US Census listing for Rufus' household (in Huntington, Huntington Cty), which includes his wife Alice N. Miller (aged thirty-two, birthplace given as Illinois) and step-daughter Elsie Knee (aged five, birthplace given as Indiana). In that same year, Alice's son John Charles was listed as living with his maternal grandfather, John Dille, in nearby Andrews, Huntington Cty. The whereabouts in 1900 of Lulu, Alice's daughter, are undetermined at this point.

Next found is another marriage record for Rufus and Alice, this one dated 2 Feb 1903 in Huntington Cty. The indexed version this record names her Alice M. Knee, and gives this as her second marriage with her birthplace given as Champaign Cty, Illinois. Her parents are named John Dilley and Mary Andrews.

Next is yet another marriage record for "R.A. Miller" and "Alice N. Knee," dated 14 Nov 1904 in Huntington Cty. This marriage certificate record does not give any futher information about the two.

The last marriage record I've found for this group is dated 31 Jul 1909 in Miami Cty, Indiana, for "Alice Nettie Knee" and "Samuel Martin Knee." This record gives Alice's parents' names as John W. Dilly and Mary A. Anderson, her birthplace as Illinois, and her marital history as being twice previously, ending "1st by divorce 1895 2nd divorce 1908."

Following that point, I can find US Census records for Rufus in 1910 and 1920, each giving his marital status as "widowed." I have not yet found confirmed residences for Alice (aside from 1900) or Samuel at this point. Rufus died in 1926, and is buried in Clear Creek Cemetery in Clear Creek Twp, Huntington Cty. Samuel died in 1951, and is buried in Shrock Cemetery in Peru, Miami Cty, Indiana. I have not yet found a death date or burial location for Alice.

Proposed timeline:
8 Nov 1885 - Alice Dille and Samuel Knee married
22 May 1887 - John Charles Knee born
4 Feb 1891 - Lulu May Knee born
18 Jan 1892 - Alice Dille and Samuel Knee married
1 Oct 1895* - Elsie H. Knee born (one marriage record for her gives her birthdate as 1894)
10 Nov 1899 - Alice Dille and Rufus Miller married
4 Jun 1900 - US Census records household of Rufus, Alice, and Elsie
2 Feb 1903 - Alice Dille and Rufus Miller married
14 Nov 1904 - Alice Dille and Rufus Miller married
31 Jul 1909 - Alice Dille and Samuel Knee married

I cannot be certain if Alice really did marry, divorce, and re-marry the same two men repeatedly, or whether there only three marriages involved (Samuel, then Rufus, then Samuel) and the records reflect some series of clerical errors or other issues. It does seem hard to believe that, as suggested by the timeline I've constructed, Alice and Samuel married and divorced twice only for Alice to then marry and divorce Rufus three times before remarrying to Samuel again. Because of the lack fo confirmed records for Samuel and Alice after 1909, along with a lack of death and burial information for Alice, I'm uncertain as to whether they remained married until her death or his.

Rufus. for his part, does not seem to have married to anyone else in this time period, and appears to have lived his entire life in Huntington Cty. He does not appear to have had any children. Likewise, outside of his first marriage (to Emma), Samuel does not seem to have married anyone else in this same span of years.