Maribel Nyblin

At age 17, on 9 April 1879, Mary Belle Savage, born in Farmington, Fayette Co, PA on 20 Sep 1862, married William Harry Bishop, born 19 Nov 1856 in West Virginia. On 18 Sep 1884, after having had 3 children, Zella, Roy, and William, her husband deserted them. He returned to WV, and in 1888, was married to Nora Anna Coyne by a minister of the gospel. On 20 Aug 1884, Mary Belle's father had brought divorce action forward on behalf of his daughter, but it was not until 3 Oct 1890, when the judge learned that William "was living with another woman in WV," that he granted Mary Belle a divorce. At first she supported herself and her children as a seamstress. She then moved her family to Pittsburgh, and started to run a boarding house. Eventually one of her tenants, Charles R. McKinnon, born 17 Aug 1874, proposed marriage. She accepted, they married on Nov 15, 1900, and moved to another house. However, Charles moved to WV in 1902 where he was able to continue working as a bricklayer. When he could not persuade Mary Belle to join him there, he filed for a divorce and got it on Jan 25, 1909.

When Upton was about 17, he was told by his father to go to town and sell a certain wagon of corn. However, on his way, he encountered an Indian family at Fort Necessity, and fell in love with "Little Moonbeam." He bargained with her father and got to take her home for that wagon load of corn. Imagine his father's shock! Upton's family did not allow the couple to marry until they were of age, so she was taken in by John F. and Julia A. Inks until they were allowed to marry. The marriage took place 22 July 1860 in Fayette Springs, Fayette County, PA. Upton & Louisa had 11 children, of whom Mary Belle Savage was the eldest, and whose pictures and story follow. Upton and Louisa died ca 1923 or 1924 and are buried at the Samson Methodist chapel Cemetery in Farmington, PA.