Bessie Stephens		Bessie is standing left with her half sister, Ethel Spillman to the right.  Seated in front is Bessie's mother, Susan Powers.  The man in the middle is her first husband Charles Clyde Forbes.  Seated at far right is Bessie's half brother, Ray Spillman.
Born: 22 Sep 1879 Johnson Co. IN
Died: 22 Nov 1936 Indianapolis, Marion, IN

FATHER

James Stephens

MOTHER

Susan Catherine Powers

HUSBANDS

1. Charles Clyde Forbes b. 29 Sep 1875
    married 08 Jul 1897 Indianapolis, Marion, IN

2. William Daley   b. Abt 1863 Texas
    Cody Enterprise Feb 6, 1902 "A very charming young lady of Bowler, Mont., Miss Bessie Stevens, arrived in Cody a day or two since.  She is a niece of Mr. Guss Holm's and in a short time will be united in marriage to Mr. William Daley, the well-known stock man of Meeteetse."

3. William B Munsell  b. abt 1871 Vinita, Cherokee, Indian Territory
    married 18 Feb 1903 Billings, Yellowstone, Montana.   Name listed as Bessie Forbes

4. John H Stoffer b. 7 Apr 1878 Meridon, Mercer, OH
   married 8 Feb 1910 Billings, Yellowstone, Montana.  Name listed as Bessie Stephens
   married and living with John Stoffer, candy maker, in 1910 census for Wyoming.

5. Unknown Jacobson
    Bessie is named Bessie Jacobson when she married Gustav Kramer

6. Gustav Kramer b. 3 Sep 1882 Germany
    married 27 Aug 1913 King, Washington

Northern Wyoming Herald May 26, 1916  "Mrs. Katherine Holm left Monday for Seattle in company with her daughter, Mrs. Bessie Kramer, where she will make her home for the present.  "Tex" Holm accompanied them as far as Billings.    Mr. Holm has plans which will cause him to be way from home too much for him and his wife to keep house and until they settle again Mrs. Holm will be with her daughter."

Park Co. Enterprise May 24, 1916 "Mrs. Tex Holm went to Seattle in company with her daughter last Friday. She had been ill for a long time with a complication of troubles, and it is hoped the lower altitude will help her in many ways.  Tex Holm accompanied them as far as Billings."

Northern Wyoming Herald Oct 15, 1919  "Mrs. Bessie Kramer, who for the past six months has assisted in the Volckner Shop, expects to leave Monday for Spokane, Washington, where she will resume a position formerly held by her in one of the large confectionery stores of that city."

7. Charles Hart      b. 31 May 1880 Bradford, Yorkshire, England
married about Jan 1920
Northern Wyoming Herald Feb 18, 1920 "Mrs. Chas. (Bessie Kramer) Hart, left last week after spending several days in Cody with her mother Mrs. Tex Holm.  Mrs. Hart was married shortly after resigning her position at the Volckner shop and leaving for the coast."

Living in Spolane, Washington in 1920 census with husband Charles Hart, manager of soft drink parlor
Still married to Charles Hart in 1923 when he applied for naturalization papers.

8. Unknown Ball
Named as Bessie Ball in mother's obituary in September 1928.

9. Carl August Widing b. 28 Jan 1873 Switzerland
Married 6 Oct 1934 Tippecanoe, Indiana    Name listed as Bessie Ball

Died 22 Nov 1936 under the name of Bessie Widing.  Informant was her cousin Mary A Dausch

About 1888 Susan Powers and her daughter, Bessie, left Johnson County, Indiana.  Susan has been in an unhappy second marriage.  She divorced her husband, leaving two of her children behind with this husband, and  headed west taking Bessie, the daughter from her first husband.  Bessie would have been about 10 or 11. Oral history has it that Susan joined a Wild West Show.  By 1900 Susan had married again to Tex Holm and they were living in Bowler, Montana.  Bessie is not living with them.  She must have left her first husband about this time and gone to Wyoming,  She married five more times between 1902 and 1913 when she married Gustav Kramer.  She seems to have stayed married to Kramer for about 7 years.  But then in 1920 she married again to Charles Hart and she may have stayed married to him for a few years.  But then she is referred to as Bessie Ball in her mother's obituary of 1928.  She must have moved back to Indiana after the death of her mother.  She married there, her last husband, Carl Widing, in 1934.  When she died in 1936 she was still married to Mr. Widing.  All in all, at least 9 husbands.
Her cousin, Mary A Dausch was the informant on the death certificate.  She was the daughter of Isaac Powers, a brother to Susan Powers. 
The obituary reads:  "Greenwood, Nov 25.  Mrs. Bessie Widing, age 57, was laid to rest Wednesday afternoon in the cemetery here.  She succumbed early Monday morning in Indianapolis.
The deceased was a sister of Mrs. Ethel Zimmerly and Ray Spillman, and a cousin of Mrs. Mary A. Dausch.  Funderal was held Wednesday at 1:30 p. m. at the Farley funeral home, 1604 Morris Street, Indianapolis.

Newspaper articles courtesy of Bob Goss [email protected]

In 1920 Charles and Bessie Hart are living in Spokane, Spokane, Washington.  On April 25, 1921 Charles Hart made declaration of intention to become a naturalized citizen.

Charles and his wife Bessie live at 1512 Riverside Ave., Spokane, Washington.

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