An ad in an October 1860 Warsaw, Illinois, newspaper placed by A. Behle indicated that his wife had left his bead[sic] and board and that he would no longer be responsible for any bills she contracted after that date.
Such ads were not uncommon during the time period. It was a way of making the public aware that the couple had separated and that one would no longer be responsible for the debts of the other. At the very least for the genealogist a hundred or so year later the ad can be a sign that the couple was on the outs. Whether they ever divorced is a separate matter entirely. Couples did choose to permanently live apart or even get married again without benefit of divorce.
It would be reasonable to say that the couple was estranged on the date the ad was published for those who like to have dates to enter in their genealogical database. These ads are not proof the couple actually divorced. One would need to check local court records for that.
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