7/6/2010:
Friends and family of a Grand Forks couple were reeling on this date in 1904; the couple, Edward and Katherine Fallen, had just announced they would be seeking a divorce. Normally, such a thing would cause little commotion, but the Fallens were over seventy years of age and had been married for over forty years! Divorce proceedings between the two began when Mr. Fallen brought an action against his wife in district court, charging her with cruel and inhumane treatment. Apparently, she refused to cook his meals and had been spending nights at their daughter's home. She also locked him out of the house on occasion. Married in Manchester, England, nearly a half-century earlier, it appeared that the elderly couple had finally tired of one another's company.
Dakota Datebook written by Jayme L. Job
Sources:
The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican. Saturday (Evening ed.), July 30, 1904: p. 1.