I have been told a fantastic story that my great-great grandmother left her husband & children to go work in a brothel, aka "House of Fame". They were living near Wolsey, SD at the time. I have not been able to find her in any census but I am sure that she changed her name.

Does any one have any idea on how I can locate this information?

And what was the approximate time period?
What was your great-great-grandmother's name? Birth and death dates & places?

Virginia VOY ran a "house" in Huron for two decades, first in a rented house west of the fairgrounds, then at 679 First Street Southwest. This in the 1940s. Virginia H. (1900-1979), a black woman, married Wesley A. VOY (1902-1965), a white man. They are buried at Riverside Cemetery, Huron. THE PLAINSMAN newspaper had an extensive article on Virgina Saturday, 24 Aug 1996, page 1 "Virginia doesn't live here anymore".

I have run across brief newspaper mentions of "houses" across the river in the 1880s or so. I don't know if early criminal records are available or not. You can start by finding your gr-gr-grandmother in the census, marriage or divorce records.

The time period would have been 1890 - 1900. She was listed in the 1885 census as being with her family but not in the 1895. At that time they lived near Wolsey, SD. According to her husband's obit, his wife "died" around 1896.

Her name was Katie Greenfield. Her birth name was Geeske Johnson.

Any help would be great!

You are not making it easy to help you!

What was the family structure in the 1885 census?
Why the different names?
Wolsey can refer to the town or be a post office address for several townships.

Here is the information that I do have on Katie.

The person that I am looking for is Geeske “Katie” Greenfield, nee Johnson. Katie was born in Germany in 1859 and immigrated to the US with her parents, Tonjes and Mertie Johnson, prior to 1870. They settled in Grundy county, Iowa. This is where she met my gr-gr grandfather, Menno Greenfield. In 1880, they were living in Grundy county, IA. Shortly after that they moved to South Dakota near Wolsey and are listed in the 1885 census for South Dakota. Katie is not listed with the family in the 1895 South Dakota census. That is when I have lost her trail.

Per letters from her niece that was alive at the time that all of this happened, Katie left the family because there had to be more to life than raising chickens and children. This niece also stated that her parents went to SD to visit a son and wanted to stop by to see Katie. I’m not sure when this happened but would venture a guess that it was in the early 1900s.

Katie’s parents remained in Iowa this entire time. I recently found their burial location and am working on acquiring obits for both of them in hopes that it will provide additional clues on what happened to Katie.

When you post a query, it helps to include every single thing you know.

When and where was she born? Names of parents and siblings, their birth dates and places. Was she married before emigrating to the U.S.? When and where was she married? What was her husband's name (can't read from census). Where did the family live from 1885 and later? What were the names of her children, when and where were they born? Have you checked for other obituaries for family members from the late 1800s and early 1900s?

Have you checked all census records?

Is this her husband, listed as DIVORCED?

1900 Iowa Winnebago, Buffalo

GREENFIELD, N?? [can't read], head, born Apr 1847, Divorced, born Germany
--- Fredrick, son, Apr 1878, Iowa
--- Bertha, dau, July 1881, IA
--- Linas [spelling?] son, May 1883, South Dakota
--- Jno. son, July 1885, South Dakota

Without more information, it's difficult to tell.

I have listed all of the information that I know with the exception of her children. I have also exhausted every avenue in trying to find Katie, including census, obits, following distant family members, etc. I have searched via her married name and her birth name and every combination I could think of.

I realize the 1900 census for Menno lists him as divorced. His obit from 1905 says that his wife preceded him in death by 9 years. I have found no proof that they were divorced or that she died in 1896.

Her children were:
1. Fredrick b. 1878 Grundy County IA, d.7/1960 Jackson county, MN
2. Thomas b. 10/1879 Grundy County, IA - no further information
3. Bertha b. 8/1881 Grundy County, IA, d. 12/1969 Upland, CA
4. Tinus b. 5/1883 Beadle County, SD, listed in 1900 census for Winnebago county, IA. No further information
5. John b. 7/1885 Beadle County, SD, d. 7/1971 Fresno, CA
6. Myrtle b. 7/1888 Beadle County, SD, d. 3/1959 Alhambra, CA

The stigma of divorce was so great in 1900, that it seems unlikely he would have told the census enumerator that he was divorced rather than widowed, unless it were true.

I have sent for newspaper microfilm from the SD Historical Society via interlibrary loan. A search through old newspapers in their area might lead to more information, if you haven't done so already.

Have you traced the Katherian GREENFELD [sic] in Butler County, Iowa 1915 census? Born Germany, widowed, about the right age. Unfortunately, she states she has been in the U.S. only 20 years.

Be sure to check the Grundy County, WA, genweb site.

http://www.iagenweb.org/grundy/

Thank you for posting the additional information.

"Bessie" GREENFIELD (a:73 <1812> bp:Germany) enumerated with the family in 1885 SD Census is buried in the Wolsey City Cemetery, Hartland Township, Beadle, South Dakota.
Tombstone read: "BERTHA GREENFIELD, 1815-1887".

Have you followed up with land records? Manno [sic] F GREENFIELD had a patent on [the northeast quarter of] Section 6, Township 111, Range 63 (Hartland Township). There may be a record filed against the land showing Kate's death or divorce. Beadle Co. land records are found at the Register of Deeds office, Huron; probate and divorce records are filed with the Clerk of Courts, Huron.

FYI, there are about 300 "unknown" burials in Beadle County in my databases. And those are only the ones somewhat documented at this time!

Sheryl Hickle
Beadle Co., SD, Genealogy & History

I will check on the Katherin Greenfield from Butler county. Thanks!

I re-read the letters that I acquired regarding Kate. I discovered another story related to Kate working in a brothel.

According to the story, Menno sent his son Tinus into town on a pony to get some supplies. The pony came back but not Tinus. Awhile later, several men showed up and said that they kidnapped the son because the mother (Kate) wanted him with her.

Tinus is listed in the 1900 census with his father, but there is no record of him after that.

Thanks again for all of your help!