The Yeager & Luden Saga | Another Clue...

Source: 
Deed of Sale from Amos B. Yeager to Jacob Luden, 1855 (filed 2 April 1855), Berks County, Pennsylvania, Deed Grantor 1752-1926, page 2. Recorder of Deeds Office, City of Reading, Pennsylvania. <https://portal2.recordfusion.com/countyweb/disclaimer.do>

 
 

In my two previous posts, HERE and HERE, I outlined an intriguing family mystery from my mother's maternal line - specifically involving the LUDEN and YEAGER families of Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania.  Nutshelll summary: I have lingering paternity questions about my 3rd great-grandfather, who was born just before my 4th great-grandmother and grandfather divorced.  Until I started working on our family history, I was unaware that my 4th g-grandmother had been previously married (with two children, no less); quite a bombshell discovery.  Autosomal DNA testing is casting some doubt on my 3rd great-grandfather's paternity.  A very complicated mystery indeed!

Just last week, I spent time digging through the Berks County, Pennsylvania Recorder of Deeds online search tool.  While the results provided are indexed records (typed summaries of the actual record), it is possible to contact the office for actual copies.  Low and behold, I found a very fascinating nugget of information!

Remember in my last article that I gave a timeline for my 4th great-grandparents' divorce.  Here's a recap:

• April 21, 1856 - Amos Bright Yeager (1808-1889) files for divorce from Sarah (Musser) Yeager (later, Luden).
• April 22, 1856 - Sarah Musser Yeager served papers.
• September 30, 1857 - Interrogations completed and filed.
• June 7, 1858 - Case closed - plaintiff (Amos Yeager) pays court fees.

*My 3rd great-grandfather, Edward Musser Luden (1854-1920) is born on 9 November, 1854*

SO - let's look at the image above from the Register of Deeds.  In April of 1855, Amos Yeager sells his N 5th Street, Reading, PA home to Jacob Luden.  At this point, I am not sure exactly where he and his wife, Sarah, live until he eventually files for divorce the following year; I cannot find a record of another mortgage to determine whether or not he purchased another home.  Ironically, when Sarah and Amos divorce, she ends up living in the N 5th Street home with her new husband - Jacob Luden - and their children, including my 3rd great-grandfather.  As I mentioned in a previous post, Amos Yeager moves to the Mishler Hotel with his two children, Frederick Musser Yeager and Susan Ann Yeager.

Interesting twist, yes?

From my conversations with another researcher in Berks County, I understand that Amos Yeager sued Jacob Luden in conjunction with the divorce case whose timeline I noted above.  A separate filing. 

You'll also see on the image above that Amos sold another property to a Conrad Beidler in a Deed of Assignment in 1855 (recorded March 1856).  From what I can tell, a deed of assignment usually occurs when a person in debt (Amos Yeager, I believe) assigns a property to another party in lieu of filing for bankruptcy.  Could it be that he had some sort of underlying financial problems at the time or leading up to the divorce?

Questions, questions!