Omaha daily bee., 1911-03-12
Council Bluffs
WINS CHILD OF SWEETHEART
Wealthy Farmer Of Nicola to Marry
Miss Jessie Rodooker.
GIRLS MOTHER REFUSED HIM
Long BattIed for Hand, Then Married
Another, only to Go ThroEuh
Divorce COurt-BIg we'd
dinH Sunday.

dina Sunday.
After having loved in vain for years the
one woman whom he believed fate had de-
creed alone could make him happy. ana
pressing his suit vainly throughout her
years OF widowhood UP to the time OF her
sudden illness and death in omaha last
summer. and In the meantime enduring
some stormy matrimonial experiences Into
which his pride or anger led him W. ii.
Butler. one OF the wealthiest farmers In
Iowa, yesterday secured a marriage license
in Council Bluffs to marry the daughter
Of the woman he loved unavallingly.
Mr.. Butler. whose home Is at Nicola, Hp-
peared IN the office OF District Court Clerk
Harry Brown at o'clock last evening
accompanied by Miss Jessie Rodocker, and
with smiling face and steady hand signed
the marriage register. making no attempt
10 conceal the fact that he had been buff
feted by the storms OF this world for the
last seventy -seven years and some months
BY his side, equally smiling and confident
Miss Rodocker watched the proceedings
connected with the Issuance Of the certif'-
cate and attached her name TO the register
without hesitancy The announcement was
on Sunday with a big wedding
Bride of Twenty-Five Years.
Miss Rodocker is a most estimSble young
woman. just past Is years old and is we'll
known in Council Bluffs and Omaha. For
ten years she lived with her mother at
the residence adjoining that of former
Mayor Rohrer on Vine street, and for a
number Of years was a clerk in leading
1O-cent store. year or more ago they
moved to Omaha and resided North
Eighteenth street near Paul. During the
ten years Miss Rodocker and her mother
lived here Mr. Butler was their frequent
visitor and most ardent wooer Of the
mother. Mrs Rodocker was a remarkably
handsome woman, under 80 years old at
the time Of her death, and while she priced
the friendship Of the aged and wealthy
farmer she firmly rejected his suit
It is said, to show the beautiful young
widow that there were other women in the
world, Butler one day in the autumn OF
1908 surprised Mrs. Rhoda Jones, a poor
and hard working widow with several chill
dren. residing in Nicola, by an offer of
marriage. 1t was accepted without delay
and the wedding which followed on Octo-
Der 6, 1908, was held in the office OF Rev.
Henry De Long in the corridor of the
county court house. The welded widow
with her children left their humble cottage
and went to reside on the splendid farm
| homestead near the town. The nuptial
move was not wisely made and troublous
times came swiftly for both.
Widow Jones Leaves.
/ The widow Jones was very much disap-
pointed in her aged lover and her pres
ence in his home only served to intensity
the torturing thoughts OF another face
that would have been so welcome there
/ Butler Immediately began to treat his new
wife harshly and continued 1t with in
creasng severity until she was compelled
! to return to her little home The finale
was one of the most sensational divorc,
suits that has ever been tried In the dis
| trict court at Council Bluffs. Butler wa
sued for $4,000 alimony and hired a corp,
Of lawyers TO defend him. The suit wal
finally settled by agreement and decree
Of divorce entered by Judge Woodruff OF
September %. 1903. The decree allowed
Mrs Butler $50 for her maintenance dur
ing the three months the suit was pend
ing, $500 in cash and a warranty deed t,
the beautiful homestead, containing TWEEN
| ty-two and one-half acres, worth. 1t 4
said. at least $4,000.
Miss Rodocker was educated in tn
Western Iowa Business college and hell
several important positions. Her mother
Mrs. Eva Rodocker was the widow o
Levi Rodocker, and Miss Jessie was thei
only daughter They were inseparable Il
their companionship. After their remova
to Omaha they lived quiet and happ.
life. Mr. Butler often visited them I'm nj
protracted suit for the hand OF the mother
He took the most kindly interest in Mis-
Jessie, but could never win her aid in hi
siege OF the mothers heart. The daughte
always felt friendly interest in the kin
old man Mrs. Rodocker was only i'll
short time, and up 20 few days befor
her death was not thought to be In dan
ger, After her death Miss Jessie went t
Creston. Ia, to make her home with rela
tives. Mr.. Butler learned that she wa
not happily situated and he begged unit
he secured her consent to become his wifi,
HE is said to be worth more than SlOO w
Mr. Butler stated yesterday that the
would remain at Nicola for awhile an
would then probably make their home /
southern California.