| Notes |
- 20 Aug 2013 Harry Benjamin Drollinger believes Grover's birth name was "Grover L. Drollinger". "As to his middle name, even his only live child does not know what the "L" stood for and is not listed in the Family Bible".
-- 1906 Feb 28, The Fort Wayne Weekly Sentinel: "HUSBAND REFUSES TO SHELTER WIFE -
Mrs. Pearl Drollinger, wife of Grover Drollinger, a conductor in the employ of the Fort Wayne and Wabash Valley Traction company was removed from the car which was in charge of her husband Monday, to the home of Mrs. Anna Brockmeyer, at the end of the Lewis street line, where she was revived from a fainting spell, after which her husband is said to have refused to have anything to do with her.
Human Officer Schlendroff was called to investigate the case and took the woman to the home of Drollinger's parents on Oliver Street, but they refused to keep her and she went this morning to friends in Sky Run. She was accompanied by their child, which is ten months old.
Some time ago Mrs. Drollinger went to Garrent to visit her mother and when she returned she found her furniture and clothing had been taken from her home on Sky Run Avenue to the Drollinger residence. When she ascertained this she boarded her husbands car and while it is not know what occurred between them on the trip to the end of the line, the husband and motorman carried her from the car and upon the return trip Drollinger is quoted by the humane officer as having said that she is not his wife and he would have nothing to do with her. He is said to have left the city today. They were married about two years ago."
Ft Wayne Sentinel 24 Mar 1904 (Columbia City Commercial)
Grover Drollinger, street car conducter, of Fort Wayne arrived in the city Tuesday evening. He was joined here this afternoon by Miss Maude Woods, also of Fort Wayne, who has a class of music students at Arcola. While in the city they were entertained by the former's sister, Mrs M.S. Bolerjack.
Fort Wayne Sentinel 22 June 1904
Marriage licenses Grover L. Drollinger and Pearl E. Darby
Fort Wayne Sentinel 27 Feb 1906
Mrs Pearl Drollinger, wife of Grover Drollinger, a conductor in the employ of the Fort Wayne and Wabash Valley Traction Company, was removed from a car which was in charge of her husband yesterday, to the home of Mrs Anna Brockmeyer, at the end of the Lewis street line, where she was revived after a fainting spell, after which her husband is said to have refused to have any thing to do with her. Humane Officer Schlaudenroff was called to investigate the case and took the woman to the home of Drollinger's parents on Oliver street, but they refused to keep her and she went this morning to friends in Spy Run. She is accompanied by their child which is 10 months old. Some time ago Mrs Drollinger went to visit her mother and when she returned she found her furniture and clothing from her home on Spy Run avenue to the Drollinger residence. When she ascertained this she boarded her husband's car and while it is not known what occured between them on the trip to the end of the line, the husband and the motorman carried her from the car and upon the return trip Drollinger is quoted by the Humane Officer as having said she was not his wife and he would have nothing to do with her. He is said to have left the city today. They were married about two years ago.
What this article does not report is that several weeks before this Pearl Drollinger had taken a butcher knife and tries to kill him; then days before this report she had use a frying pan to beat him up and run off to her mothers with their daughter. While she was gone, Grover sold their belonging to raise money to pay for a divorce. What is not reported in the newspaper is that she got on the trolley car and attacked him. In the fight that followed, he struck back knocking her out. The Asst. Conductor and Grover placed her on the side of the tracks and he completed his route. Then, he went to his parents where he collected his belongings and was about to flee when the police showed up. During the questioning of his parents; he was behind the door in the kitchen and they claimed they had not seen him as he was at work. That night, Grover left Ft. Wayne and never set foot in the city again. He filed for a divorce which was granted but Pearl trying to drag him into court under Grover L Drollinger every time she could for anything she dreamed up; so he changed his name, between later 1906 - early 1908, using his mother's last name, Celia Augusta Belden, as his last name and Ira, which he was told by his mother to her fathers first name (now here is the other problem ... everything points to Celia Augusta Belden being a bastard child - none of the family has every found her parents names, where she was born, where she went to school, etc. even though she said she was born in New Haven, Allen County, Indiana).
Once he had his name changed, Pearl was unable to find him because he then enter the army under that name on June 11, 1908. Some where along the line, he was transferred to Philippine Islands as a Captain (1920 Census, Overseas Military, Philippine Islands [Capt., 40]) although in 1914 he was a Sgt. in the Quartermasters Corps. He served there until he was cashiered out of the army along with several other officers. Grover always stated that his cashiering was done to cover-up the actions of several senior officer on the commanding General's staff of the Philippines who were using the Officer Club money to pay for their living in the Philippines. I have tried to get his military records one time but was informed that we not available at that time. Also, the family for years referred to him as Grover although he had changed his name so that Pearl could not find him.
When he died in 1941, my father and grandfather had to pay for the funeral because as he and his family were broke. I learned this from his youngest daughter on a visit there for a family reunion.
I don't know what the "L" in his name is for but now that you have asked, I will contact his youngest daughter and see if she knows.
I hope this helps, if you have any other question on him.
Have a great year
Ben (Harry Benjamin Drollinger Jan 2013)
U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
Name: Grover L Drollinger
Residence Year: 1906
Street Address: 1146 W Main
Residence Place: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Occupation: Condr
Publication Title: Fort Wayne, Indiana, City Directory, 1906
1930 United States Federal Census
Name: Ira Belden
Gender: Male
Birth Year: abt 1886
Birthplace: Indiana
Race: White
Home in 1930: West, Columbiana, Ohio
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's Name: Corbelle Belden
Father's Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Mother's Birthplace: Indiana
1940 United States Federal Census
Name: Ira Belden
Age: 54
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1886
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Indiana
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1940: Defiance, Defiance, Ohio
Street: Raleton
House Number: 628
Farm: No
Inferred Residence in 1935: Rural, Paulding, Ohio
Residence in 1935: Rural, Paulding, Ohio
Resident on farm in 1935: Yes
Sheet Number: 16A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation: 335
Occupation: Produce Buyer
House Owned or Rented: Rented
Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented: 25
Attended School or College: No
Highest Grade Completed: College, 4th year
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: 55
Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker in private work
Weeks Worked in 1939: 52
Income: 900
Income Other Sources: Yes
Household Members:
Name Age
Ira Belden 54
Cora Belle Belden 49
Byron B Belden 21
Beneaby M Belden 17
Doris Jams Belden 8
U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914
Name: Ira Belden
Birthyear: abt 1880
Birthplace: Indiana, United States
Enlistment Age: 28 1/12
U.S., Returns from Military Posts
Name: Ira Belden
Post Name: Logan H. Roots, Fort
Post Location: Arkansas
Post Commander: E V Bookmiller
Military Place: Fort Logan H Roots, Arkansas
Return Period: Sep 1914
QM SGT transferred from Fort Hancock NJ
U.S., Returns from Military Posts
Name: Ira Belden
Post Name: Logan H. Roots, Fort
Post Location: Arkansas
Post Commander: Byard Sneed
Military Place: Fort Logan H Roots, Arkansas
Return Period: May 1915
Loss QM SGT 1 May 1915 transferred to P.I.
U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications,1889-1970
Name: Grover C Drollinger
SAR Membership: 81851
Birth Date: 22 Apr 1885
Birth Place: Indiana, Wabash
Death Date: 19 Jul 1941
Death Place: Defiance, Ohio
Spouse: Pearl Darby
Children: Corinne Drollinger
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1885 - 1941 (56 years)
