Divorce Announcement
P. J. Stafford and Doris Ann (Tidwell) Stafford
Divorce Record
____________
Franklin, Kentucky newspaper:
The Franklin Favorite
Published September 26, 1968, Thursday · Page 20
(Listed in the "Divorces" section)
Note: The copyright remains with the original newspaper. This clipping is shared here for documentation purposes only.
Click the image to enlarge.
The announcement of my parents' divorce appeared in the September 26, 1968 issue of The Franklin Favorite, on page 20 under the divorces section.
__________________________
The divorce of P. J. Stafford and Doris Ann (Tidwell) Stafford was publicly reported in the Franklin, Kentucky newspaper The Franklin Favorite. This clipping was uploaded by their daughter, Tammy Jean (Stafford) Bellflower.
A note to explain the context behind the record: The newspaper listed the divorce as being granted to my father on the grounds of "cruel and inhuman treatment." That is what the legal filing said, and the paper accurately reported what was recorded. But the truth, as later admitted by my father, was that he had filed for the divorce himself and used those claims to have it granted in his favor. My mother, overwhelmed and afraid, chose not to fight back. She stayed quiet to avoid further threats of violence and humiliation. She took the high road in a situation where she had very little power. The public record may show one version of events, but it does not reflect the truth of what she lived through.
_________________
Genealogy / Records / Notices
Names mentioned, with links to their pages:
- P. J. "Pete" Stafford (1932–2012)
- Doris Ann (Tidwell) Stafford — living as of March 8, 2023
- Timmy Lee Stafford (1966–2004)
- Brenda Joyce Stafford (1946–2019)
- Van Dow Stafford (1907–1992)
- Ethel (Biggs) Stafford (1909–1983)
- Margaret Arene (Anderson) Tidwell (1923–2007)
- William Colie Tidwell (1916–1994)
- Tammy Jean (Stafford) Bellflower
_____________________