in a fight that broke out over a dispute regarding land , mining claims and the ownership of goats . Swigert was rewarded $ 2000 due to the fact that his real teeth had to be replaced with fake ones . Of course , Theodore , who was four years younger than Lillie , making him only 27 years old on their wedding day , might have been a decent man who just didn ' t have the resources to raise another man ' s children while supporting his new wife and their own growing family . Financially , life may not have been too hard since Theodore and his brother William had discovered the Golden Turkey and the Golden Belt Mines near Cleator on Turkey Creek .
According to official records Theodore was a PFC in the United States Army during WWI .
By 1922 Myrtle was living back in the small town of Humboldt . On August 9 th , 1922 the Weekly Journal-Miner ( Prescott , AZ ) published a small mention about Myrtle , employed as page at the administration building of the Southwest Metals Company , who was being promoted to work as stenographer for Mr . Henry in the purchasing department .
In 1923 Myrtle fell in love ( or lust !) with Virgil Van Buren Smith , who she married in Prescott , Arizona on May 12 th , 1923 . There is very little information available about Virgil , but records do state that during WWI he enlisted in the United States Marine Corp . on July 24 th , 1917 as a Pvt , and by the time he exited from service on August 20 th , 1919 he had worked his way up to the rank of Corporal , with a remark stating that his character was “ Excellent .” Sounds like he might have been a great catch for Myrtle , a man who appears to have been steady , dependable and dedicated .
On November 24 th , 1924 , at 9:00 am , Myrtle and Virgil became parents with the birth of their son , Virgil Douglas Smith , who was born in Humboldt , Arizona . The birth certificate states that father Virgil was employed as a butcher who was living at Jerome , Arizona , instead of in Humboldt with Myrtle . There is nothing to tell us whether this was a matter of Virgil needing to live elsewhere solely for employment reasons , or if there had been a separation in the marriage . Another anomaly is that Myrtle claims that she was born in San Diego , California , when all other evidence points to her birthplace being Humboldt , Arizona , as she states on her record of marriage .
In any case , this marriage did not last long and ended in divorce sometime before 1928 .
After her divorce from Virgil Smith Myrtle decided to head for greener pastures and moved with their son to Montebello , California , in Los Angeles County , where she picked up freelance jobs as a stenographer . On January 4 th , 1930 , Myrtle married Henry Willis Gray at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Montebello , California , the Rev . John Gabrielson presiding . On April 5 th , 1930 , Henry , Myrtle and Myrtle ' s son Virgil were enumerated in the census for Montebello , California . Myrtle is still working freelance as a stenographer and husband Henry is a welder employed by an electrical company .
Alas , marital bliss would again elude Myrtle , as we find in the Los Angeles Times newspaper , dated September 11 th , 1937 , where it reports that Myrtle has filed a divorce suit against Henry .
It is impossible to know if Myrtle ' s budding interests in Esperanto had anything to do with the break-up of this marriage , or if the real problem was Myrtle ' s inability to maintain a close , lasting relationship due to her own painful and difficult childhood and early adulthood years .
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