11 August 2011

Testimony of non-relatives in pension files can be more informative than that of relatives. This testimony comes from the pension file of Emmar Osenbaugh. Blanchard Nevill is providing testimony about how the Emmar's marriage to David Snavely came to an end.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this 27th day of November, 1918, at near Clearfield county of Ringgold, State of Iowa before me, J. J. Horrigan, a Special Examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally appeared Blanchard Nevill...

[I've included screen shots of the testimony in this blog post instead of retyping the entire thing]





-----------------------------------------
Apparently the Snavelys were separate, but David died before any permanent termination of the marriage could take place.

We've discussed Emmar's pension file in two issues of Casefile Clues. In the most recent issue, we see why I'm going to wait to locate records of Emmar's three divorces--although the pension file provides enough documentation that actual records could be located.

-----------------------------------------
Source:

Blanchard Nevill, statement, 27 November 1918, Emmar Osenbaugh, widow’s pension application no. 772,537; service of John Osenbaugh (Pvt. Co. H, 7th Ill., Inf., Civil War); Case Files of Approved Pension Applications, 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.