Reading Between the Lines, The Marriage Records of Arline Paulen and Albert F. Edwards, Part 1, Introduction

I love mail. After posting Organize and Preserve Original Documents Used in Your Genealogy Research, I took a closer look at the 1917 marriage certificate used to illustrate the article.

Although I had examined the certificate many times, the certificate posed at least three more questions and showed me the surprises that can be found in seeking out the primary source documents.

I wondered:

Was Arline Paulen really divorced from her first husband at the date of her marriage to Edwards?

Why did Arline and Albert Edwards marry in Wyoming when I knew she was living in Salt Lake City?

Where was Utah County, Wyoming? I couldn’t find it in the Red Book.

Who were the witnesses? Friends of the couple?

Was the certificate “real”?

A quick Google search for Wyoming vital records led me to the office of the Wyoming State Archives. My email query as to the availability of a marriage record for Arline Paulen and Albert Edwards was quickly answered. Yes, the record was available; I could receive a copy for 50 cents per page, payable by credit card over the telephone. It was so easy that I wish I had more Wyoming ancestors.

Less than one week later I received a large manila envelope in the mail containing six photocopies:  

1. Marriage License
2. Certificate of Marriage
3. Marriage Affidavit
4. Statement of Applicant for a Marriage License Marriage License
5. Statement of Applicant for a Marriage License, with Corroborative Statement
6. Statement of Applicant for a Marriage License, with Corroborative Statement

The first two items were from the Uinta County marriage book; the applicants’ statements werefrom the files of the Uinta County clerk.

I was glad to confirm the name of the bride and groom, and to discover their ages. I was surprised to find that the groom was ten years older than his bride. That was a surprise. In the next article I will post images and discuss what I learned from each document.