Married on a Kin Visit?

If your ancestor went somewhere “out of the blue” to get married and married someone from that “out of the blue” location, have you determined why they went there?

It might not have been to find a spouse. I discovered an uncle worked in Nebraska for several months on a farm near where his cousin lived. The uncle didn’t meet his wife while in Nebraska, but it very easily could have happened. In this case, I already knew about the cousin and where he lived so his name and residence were not a surprise to me.

This newspaper reference has got me to thinking about other relatives who married someone they had met a distance from home–and I had not figured out what the connection was. In some families attending college can explain these marriages. In most of my families during the pre-World War II era college was not the answer. Work can explain some as well. If there was a marriage in an unexpected location, make certain to pay attention to the witnesses on that marriage. They may be relatives of whom you are not aware.