Scholefield Family Tree
It usually turns out that the last place you look is always the one where you find your answer! In this case, it confirms the census searches I did for James Arthur Moore’s wife. And in genealogy, even after you find something, you keep looking because one piece of evidence may be wrong!
There is a Pedigree Resource File match for James Arthur Moore to Frederica Angelica Poulsen. (Yeah, I was right on her maiden name!) This is a user submitted family tree which reports that the couple married on 2 Apr 1923 in Phoenix, Arizona.1 There are notes which can be found if one chooses to examine the CD, but no sources. (Unsourced family trees found on the Internet should be taken only as a research guide — all information should be verified.) Ikke Givet is the reported submitter, and s/he did not provide an address which could be used for personal contact regarding a source.
The Western States Marriage Index did not return a result and does cover Maricopa County for 1923, so I went back there to attempt to verify the date and place. However, when I put in a date range for Maricopa County with no information about the people, there are absolutely no records. Maybe the database is broken? Maybe the database only has a few records after a certain year, the last being in 1951 (they do take user submissions)? Or, the place is incorrect?
If I had to choose a first place to look for a marriage record, I would look at what I know and assume that they met in California because that is where Frederica lived in 1920. Then they were in CA in 1930. I would look first in California! (But as you know, nothing has yet been posted to the internet to answer our question.2)
1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Pedigree Resource File,” database, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 2 Dec 2008), entry for James Arthur Moore (PIN 4117683); submitted by Ikke Givet, no contact information provided.
2. See post dated 29 Nov 2008.