The Most Married Man In the World ~ Glynn DeMoss (Scotty) Wolfe

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 18 (LOVE AND MARRIAGE)

Recently Family Search sent out an email about connections to folks with multiple marriages.

Connecting to this Bramble Bush is Glynn (Scotty) Wolfe.

Glynn DeMoss (Scotty) Wolfe
BIRTH 25 JUL 1908 • Freelandville, Knox County, Indiana, USA
DEATH 10 JUN 1997 • Redlands, San Bernardino, California, USA

"The world’s most married man is now the world’s least mourned.

Glynn “Scotty” Wolfe did one thing in life and did it often. He married. In his 89 years, he married 29 times, setting the world record for monogamous unions. He married teenagers and grandmothers, farm girls and drug addicts, virgins and prostitutes, preachers and thieves, taking and shedding partners as casually as a square dancer.

He married some women for years, others for months, a few for days, and he loved, honored and cherished each one in his own odd way.

Marriage was his life’s work, his mission, his lasting monument. But when he died penniless last month at a Redlands nursing home, the body with the symbolic forearm tattoo of a tied knot went unclaimed. The man whose family tree sent branches and sub-branches in every direction, the man who married more often than Zsa Zsa Gabor, Elizabeth Taylor and Henry VIII combined, the man who made 29 different till-death-do-us-part promises, was singularly alone at the end."    1 

How exactly is Scotty connected to our Bramble Bush?

Glynn's 2nd cousin 6x removed was the 1st wife of Josiah Hunt 
Chris's 1st cousin 5x removed was the 2nd wife of Josiah Hunt
Both through their mother's paternal lines.

Given he is the most married man it seems fitting to feature him for this week's prompt Love and Marriage.

29 marriages - 

The list of his wives is so long that they barely fit in this blog post.

In case you can't tell - Scotty is the 2nd in from the right.

Check the sources below for full lists of all his wives.

A vlogger, Side Tripping with Cary, posted this video 

The World’s Most Married Man! Rev. Glynn “Scotty” Wolfe (1908-1997)

Pastor Mark Adams from the Redland Baptist Church used his story as part of his sermon on marriage:

"Mr. Wolfe’s situation was unique though—because he was no ordinary man. In fact, he held a very special world record. You see he is listed in the Guinness Book as the Most Married Man, with 29 monogamous marriages to his credit. 29 times Glynn Wolfe was asked, “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife…forsaking all others do you pledge yourself only to her, so long as you both shall live?” Twenty-nine times Glynn Wolfe replied, “I do,” but it never quite worked out that way. His longest marriage lasted seven years and his shortest only 19 days.

It is said that he left behind several children, grand-children, great grand-children, and of course a number of living ex-wives, and innumerable ex-in-laws—but still, Glynn died alone.You would think that, after all the income Glynn sent his way, at least his divorce lawyer would have come to the service!

I share this tragic story—because I think it’s indicative of the tragic state of the institution of marriage in our culture. As I said a few weeks back, marriage statistics don’t look very good these days. Believe it or not—they look even worse than the stock market! We live in a nation where over 60% of new marriages end in divorce—and Christian marriages seem to be failing at an even higher rate than those of non-Christians. Unless things don’t change, Mr. Wolf won’t hold his record for very long."    2 

***A link to the whole sermon is in the sources below***

Glynn (Scotty) Wolfe was said to be Reverend with the Baptist Church. 

I was unable to find what church he had been associated with. 

All the searches I did turned up his wives & not anything about his working life. 

This is the only thing I could find that was even remotely connected to a faith based agency.

"Wolfe, a Bible-thumping minister who preached out of a trailer, was a relentless seeker of publicity."   3

The story of 31 wives seemed intriguing - almost amusing.

BUT then I looked more closely and discovered many of his brides had been young & vulnerable. 

It appears that Mr. Wolfe may have been a predator....

"Wolfe took brides as young as 14, divorcing them before they hit their 20th birthday. Commenting on his teen brides, Wolfe once said he liked to "marry them young and train them the way you want." "   4

This amusing tale had taken a dark turn, and I pondered not writing about him to avoid adding to his notoriety.

I decided that since I I found nothing in my search that suggested Mr. Wolfe was anything but a misunderstood man seeking love & attention my questioning that would be a welcome addition to those seeking.

Then again - I have 2 followers and a handful of readers. 

My primary audience is ME as a record of what I spend my time and money on.

When you find a distasteful relative, and you share it anyway!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1  Most Married, but Little Missed. J.R. Moehringer. Los Angeles Times. Originally published July 11th 1997. Retrieved April 16th 2024 from
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-11-mn-11719-story.html

2  Love for a Lifetime. Sermon. Pastor Mark Adams. Redland Baptist Church. Originally published March 8th 2009. Retrieved April 16th 2024 from https://www.redlandbaptist.net/sermon/love-for-a-lifetime/

3  Body of much-married man lies unclaimed at morgue. Deseret News, Riverside Press-Enterprise. Originally published June 20th 1997. Retrieved April 16th 2024 from
https://www.deseret.com/1997/6/20/19318854/body-of-much-married-man-lies-unclaimed-at-morgue/

4  Body of much-married man lies unclaimed at morgue. Deseret News, Riverside Press-Enterprise. Originally published June 20th 1997. Retrieved April 16th 2024 from
https://www.deseret.com/1997/6/20/19318854/body-of-much-married-man-lies-unclaimed-at-morgue/

Sources:

Family tree of Glynn Wolfe. Famous Genealogies, Geneastar. Retrieved April 16th 2024 from 
https://en.geneastar.org/genealogy/wolfeglynn/glynn-wolfe

Glynn Wolfe dating history. Whos Dated Who. Retrieved April 16th 2024 from https://www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/glynn-wolfe

'The faces just change'. United Press International. Originally published January 29th 1984. Retrieved April 16th 2024 from 
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/01/29/The-faces-just-change/8005444200400/

Photos:

Screen clip from our Bramble Bush on Ancestry. Retrieved April 16th 2024.

Video:

The World’s Most Married Man! Rev. Glynn “Scotty” Wolfe (1908-1997). Side Tripping with Cary. Originally published August 5th 2022. Retrieved April 16th 2024 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFXfNn9WzPo

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

World War 2 Soldiers ~ Pellack Cousins

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 17 (WAR)

The book Our Courageous Pioneers : History of Gronlid and Surrounding Districts of Argus, Athol, Edenbridge, Freedom, Maryville, Murphy Creek, Sandhill Creek, Taelman, Taras, Teddington, was published in 1991, and included the photo below of my grandfather in his uniform.. 

It's in the World War 2 section of the book.
It also includes his cousin Jack.

He is wearing the same uniform in the photo below (taken 1940) with my grandmother. 

If Grandma is to be believed - 

The man she met in about 1939 (in Calgary, Alberta, Canada)  was Clyde Robertson. It wasn't until the early 60s that she found out he was also Max Pellack. 

In 2002 I found the Pellack family via a random message on an Ancestry discussion thread. After I messaged them they were able to confirm that the Pellack family knew Max had been using the name Clyde Robertson at various times in his life. 

They also shared that they had lost contact with Max/Clyde so hadn't been aware of his family details. 

In collaboration we managed to add our line to their tree. I was finally able to add relatives on my paternal grandfather's side of this Bramble Bush. 

In looking at the timelines we had a missing 10 years between him leaving home as Max Pellack and meeting Grandma as Clyde Robertson. 

According to the family they lost touch with him after he left home in about 1930 until he returned in about 1961. 

You can read more about that time in an earlier blog 
Max Pellack ~ I'm Not a Diamond Heiress with a Tiny Flluuuffy Dog in a Sparkly Flllluuufffy Handbag!

I have narrowed the missing 10 years some, but there are still 8 years in question.

A BIGGER question is exactly how the family had this photo of Grandpa in his abt. 1940 military uniform when he was apparently not in communication with his family of origin.

When a photo leaves more questions that answers!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photos:

Clyde & Mary (nee Thomson) Robertson, Personal

Pellack, Max & Jack. Our Courageous Pioneers : History of Gronlid and Surrounding Districts of Argus, Athol, Edenbridge, Freedom, Maryville, Murphy Creek, Sandhill Creek, Taelman, Taras, Teddington,. (Melfort Saskatchewan: Phillips Publishers , 1991). Pg 945

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Stepping Outside the Prompts ~ X6 great grandfather STEPhen Claus

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 16 (STEP)

Taking a different approach to this week's STEP prompt I will write about Chris' 6th great grandfather, Johan STEPhen (Stephen) Claus (born Abt. 1695 in Waltersdorf, Germany, and died Abt. 1780 likely in Germany). His son was the immigrant ancestor for this family line. 

5th great grandfather
Johan Georg (John) Claus
BIRTH 10 APR 1750 • Backnang, Württemberg, Germany
DEATH 18 JUN 1824 • Vineland, Niagara, Ontario, Canada
He was 56 years old when his daughter, 4th great grandmother Mary, was born via his 3rd wife. 

John Claus was a Loyalist who settled in Ontario. He received land grants in what later became known as Ontario. 

He was married 3 times. 

He's buried with his 2nd wife at the Vineland Mennonite Cemetery. 

"Another interesting feature of the site is that not all of the people buried there were Mennonites. In fact, just a row over from Mennonite pacifists lie John Claus and his wife Mary, United Empire Loyalists who came over as part of a group that included Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant. Unlike the Mennonites, who came from Pennsylvania, Claus and Brant came from Tryon County, New York, after fighting with Butler's Rangers (in Brant's case commanding his own warriors as a British ally), a fierce unit that fought guerrilla-style warfare and terrorized the New York countryside in support of the British Crown. The Claus stones are some of the earliest that have survived, a fact that is easily discernible by the amateur carving of the inscriptions, which have uneven lettering, and in the case of Mary's stone, is slightly slanted." 1

Chris descends from the only child, Mary, with his 3rd wife, Margaret. I haven't yet found where Margaret is buried. Their daughter Mary was born, raised and died in this area that became home. This was also the area their descendants remain in. 

Mary Claus (X4 great grandma)

BIRTH 1806 • Bayham, Elgin, Ontario, Canada
DEATH 19 MAY 1879 • Bayham, Elgin County, Ontario, Canada
married
Isaac Williams (X4 great grandpa)

BIRTH 19 MAY 1802 • New York, USA
DEATH 19 MAR 1868 • Bayham, Elgin Co, Ontario, Canada

This is Chris' father's maternal line. It is their son who merged his father's maternal & paternal lines when he got married.

X3 great grandparents:
Robert Henry Williams
BIRTH 31 MAR 1831 • Ontario
DEATH 12 FEB 1896 • Bayham, Ontario, Canada
and
Katherine E Rittenour
BIRTH 11 OCT 1836 • Niagara, Ontario, Canada
DEATH 18 SEP 1920 • Norfolk, Ontario, Canada

This Williams line also connects to Chris' mother's maternal line. 

While Chris grew up primarily in Western Canada he was born in Southern Ontario where these first settlers arrived. The majority of his relatives continue to reside in the nearby vicinity. 

When adding new folks to our Bramble Bush to this area it's a must to check if they are already there because there is a good chance they are since all of Chris' lines wrap back around to each other. 

How the Bramble Bush visual was first created!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

 1  Doors Open, Lincoln, Niagara, Ontario - The Vineland Mennonite Burial Ground. Canadian Heritage Matters. Originally published October 12th 2019. Retrieved April 12th 2024 from
https://canadianheritagematters.weebly.com/in-the-field/doors-open-lincoln-niagara-ontario-the-vineland-mennonite-burial-ground

Sources:

Claus, John. Undated Upper Canada Land Petition of John Claus Received at the Executive Council Office on 8 Aug 1795. Retrieved April 12th 2024 from 
https://sites.google.com/site/niagarasettlers/upper-canada-land-petitions/petitions-c/petitions-chewett-to-claus#h.p_ID_450

John Claus. FindAGrave. Retrieved April 12th 2024 from
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/111715736/john-claus

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Footloose ~ Another Dancing Cousin

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 15 (SCHOOL DAYS)

In thinking about School Days I began to reminisce about the movie Footloose. The roots of this Bramble Bush were in high school when this iconic teen angst movie was released in 1984. I was a fan. Chris was a fan. We watched the re-make in 2011, and still loved it. 

Not too long ago I received an email from Family Search identifying how our Bramble Bush intersected with the actor Kevin Bacon who played the teenager from Chicago, Ren McCormack, who was the hero who fought to bring dancing to the small conservative town he moved to.

The email noted Chris's maternal 7th cousin 1x removed is Kevin Norwood Bacon. 

YUP - that Kevin Bacon is related to Chris via his mother's paternal line!!!  

The match is via Kevin's mother's maternal line.

This is also the same line that connects Chris to Patrick Swayze
                ... it seems dancing is in the blood via this branch

Read more about the connection to Patrick Swayze in my prior blog  
Snake Hips - Swayze

The 6th degrees of separation also connect to his wife,  Kyra Sedgwick, who we now know is Chris' 10th cousin 1X removed on this same line via her paternal line since Kevin & Kyra are 9th cousins X1 removed in addition to husband and wife. This makes their children cousins to themselves - double cousins, and they will have pedigree collapse in their line. 

Chris' 5th great grandparents via his father's maternal line are also his 4th great grandparents on his father's paternal line - this is an example of pedigree collapse and being a cousin to yourself. It makes figuring out where folks fit using just their DNA expected matches a bit challenging.

Back to the movie Footloose. 

One of my fondest memories related to the movie FOOTLOOSE was dancing with my dad at a wedding to the song Footloose when I was a teen. 

It was a super fun night, and I thought my Dad had all the best moves. 

When memories leak....

                                           

 

Fondly remembering my dad!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Prior related blogs:

Snake Hips - Swayze
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/03/snake-hips-swayze-at-courthouse.html

Sources:

Kevin Bacon, American actor, director, and musician. Britannica. Retrieved April 2nd 2024 from
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kevin-Bacon

Finding Your Roots. Season 1, Episode 4: "Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon". Retrieved April 2nd 2024 from
https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/about/meet-our-guests/kyra-sedgwick

Footloose (1984 film).Fandom. Retrieved April 2nd 2024 from
https://movies.fandom.com/wiki/Footloose_(1984_film)

Kevin Bacon discovers his wife Kyra Sedgwick is his cousin. McLaughlin, Nina. Joe. Originally published February 18th 2024.
Retrieved April 2nd 2024 from
https://www.joe.ie/international/kevin-bacon-wife-kyra-sedgwick-791631#:~:text=Before%20you%20think%20there's%20anything,aware%20of%20the%20relation%20before.

Kyra Sedgwick. Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved April 2nd 2024 from
https://walkoffame.com/kyra-sedgwick/

Six Degrees Kevin Bacon discovers his actress wife Kyra Sedgwick is his cousin. Sherwin, Adam. Independent. Originally published March 2nd 2013. Retrieved April 2nd 2024 from
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/six-degrees-kevin-bacon-discovers-his-actress-wife-kyra-sedgwick-is-his-cousin-8517229.html

Photos:

Teardrop. Kushang Dhiman, 22 February 2021. 
Adaptions made by this blog's author April 2nd 2024
                                     - cropped to the eye only
Retrieved from 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Teardrop_from_an_eye.jpg

Personal

Video:

Footloose (Official Video). Kenny Loggins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltrMfT4Qz5Y

"Let's DANCE!" | Kenny Loggins Footloose Ending Scene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-OG0EyJyV8&list=RDe-OG0EyJyV8&start_radio=1&t=213s

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Chris Was Right ~ Family Traditions

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 14 (FAVOURITE RECIPE)

Easter 2024 saw a change in our meal planning. 

When our kids were small I did all the cooking including the feast type meals. Once I returned to full time work Chris shared cooking duties, but took over all feast meal preparation. Over the last few years I have been in a support role - I do all the sides, and he does the turkey & ham. 

He always does a rotisserie ham on our Bar-B-Q for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Thanksgiving & Christmas includes a turkey done in the oven as well.

This year Chris was doing yard maintenance & pressure washing in the area of the Bar-B-Q so I offered to make the ham in the oven. 

After a bit he reluctantly agreed, BUT first there was a discussion about the Scalloped Potatoes.

Chris asked me if I was putting cheese on top. I said I wasn't planning on adding cheese. He immediately launched off with a discussion about the importance of cheese in scalloped potatoes. I pointed out that traditional scalloped potatoes don't have cheese. 

As he continued talking I pictured him with a 'change my mind' protest sign.

Next he asked if I was going to use the mandolin he proudly bought - I said 'No. The potatoes need some meat on them.' The look on his face clearly showed he didn't agree. 

The scalloped potatoes discussion finally ended with my statement  'if you want them done your way then you are going to have to do them'. 

As we sat down to dinner a few hours later I realized special feast foods are rooted in memory from our family of origin. 

The scalloped potatoes, and carrots were from my childhood. 

The yam and squash were from Chris', 

The ham was from neither: we both grew up in families that boiled the ham before putting it in the oven to bake. 

My mother always put pineapple rings with a maraschino cherry in the middle all over the ham with a brown sugar glaze. 

We began our marriage with hams boiled before baking with pineapple rings & cherries exactly as my mother made them.

By the time our children were growing up Chris was the master ham maker on the BBQ. He included grilled fresh pineapple as a nod toward my childhood memories. He made his own glaze that is a secret family recipe - I don't believe he has passed to our children yet.

After thinking about him grilling pineapple for me I decided to make the scalloped with a cheese sauce & grated cheese on top. 

As we ate dinner Chris informed me he had only been asking for cheese on top, but not in the potatoes. 

The recipe in the 5 Roses Cookbook my mother gave me agrees with Chris. 

more about this cookbook in a previous blog
Mom's Christmas Baking ~ When Substitutions Will Not Do

It seems his tradition was the right one.

In following the traditions of both of our families we will be eating leftovers for days before it all goes into a pot of soup.

 

You heard it here 1st - Chris was RIGHT!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photos:

Personal

Scalloped Potatoes, 5 Roses Cookbook, Lake of the Woods Milling Company Limited, 1983 Pg 99

more about this cookbook in a previous blog - Mom's Christmas Baking ~ When Substitutions Will Not Do
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2023/12/taste-of-home-my-mothers-pies.html

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________