© Kathy Duncan, 2022
The social lives of Opal Miller and her future husband Harry A. Mayfield were frequently noted in the local newspapers when they were both just teenagers.
Opal Miller, the daughter of Mary Ellen (Brown) and Alfred F. Miller was born in Springfield, Illinois in 1886. When her father died in 1892, the family moved to Weldon, Illinois, where Opal's grandparents, John Deloss and Nancy (Johnson) Brown lived. At some point, they must have returned to Springfield. When Mary Ellen (Brown) Miller remarried to James E. Walker in 1908, her children remained in Springfield, Illinois. The Walkers, however, seem to have moved to Wisconsin. Eventually, Mary Ellen and James E. Walker also moved to Springfield.
In 1902, when Opal traveled from Springfield, Illinois to Weldon, Illinois, to visit her grandparents, John Deloss and Nany (Johnson) Brown, it was noted in the Springfield newspaper:
Opal was sixteen in 1902. Another trip to Weldon was noted in 1904:
A month later, when Opal contracted smallpox and was hospitalized in Springfield, the Weldon papers reported it:
In 1905, Opal Miller, aged 19, was living in Springfield, working as a telephone operator
. By 1907, at age 21, she was still in Springfield but working as a toll operator.
In contrast, Harry Mayhew's social life was noted in the papers as early as his sixth birthday.
Harry attended two more birthday parties that year. His activities in end-of-school recitals were duly noted. In 1903, at the age of fifteen, Harry accompanied his parents to Florida, where they spent most winters.
While the Mayhews had the means to relocate to Florida for the harsh winter months, the Miller children were all employed and making their way in the world.
When Opal Miller and Harry Mayhew married in 1907, a marriage announcement appeared in the Daily Illinois State Register of Springfield, Illinois, as you would expect:
However, when Opal and Harry married in 1907, Opal was still two years older than Harry. She was 21, and he was 19.
They had actually eloped, and Harry had lied about his age. This came to light when his parents' objections to the elopement were published in the newspaper. Over his parents' objections, Harry had obtained a marriage license, wherein he reversed his age and Opal's, informed his parents that he intended to marry anyway, and proceeded to do so. It appears that he did so with his future brother-in-law's help. It seems that the Mayhews had spent the day trying to prevent the marriage from happening. I don't know if they went to the newspaper or the newspaper got wind of their frantic search.
Of great interest is that the young couple decided to reside with the Mayhews after their marriage. 1021 South College was the address of the elder Mayhews. That must have been awkward since the Mayhews' objection to the marriage was so strong that it was newsworthy. The decision would eventually have deadly consequences for Opal.
