Seeking Joseph - Mrs James Roberts -- Say What??

One of the problems with doing family history research is trying to stay focused on one family line or area of research.  Sometimes there is a special collection of records that becomes available for the first time and you just want to take a peek.  Sometimes when you aren't even looking for it, a new mystery just seems to pop up out of no where.  Just like this ....

New Information:

While conducting research for the Death Certificates for Hiram, Anna, Elizabeth and Martha Anna I came across a Death Certificate for James R. Roberts.

According to the Death Certificate

James R Roberts, was born in 1868 in Ontario, Canada to Joseph Roberts and Celia Gillem.  He died December 2, 1905 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA, at the age of 37.  James died at the Marine Hospital, from a cerebral hemorrhage followed by paralysis of entire body.  He was buried on December 5, 1905 in Harbor Beach (though the death certificate does not specify any particular cemetery).  His occupation is listed as Lake Captain, and the informant was George Roberts of Harbor Beach (assumed to be his brother). 

So what is the mystery you ask?  Well, James’ death certificate lists James as “married”, at the age of 32.

Questions and Analysis:

According to a copy of the birth registration that I have for James, he was born “Robert James Robert” in Nelson, Halton, Ontario, Canada on February 7, 1871.  The family history that I have gathered to date indicated that he worked on the lake, and never married. 

So who did James marry about 1901?  And what happened to her?

NEXT STEPS:

Not really sure at this point???  Perhaps James had an obituary published in 1905 which would list his wife’s name?  Perhaps there is a marriage record?  Perhaps she was buried next to him (where ever that may be).

For now I will keep focused on my hunt for Joseph and his ancestry.  And perhaps someday I can circle back around to this mystery.

Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by.

Love & Aloha,

~Cuzn Amy