Lottie was his third wife. Edward Berlin found the 1904 marriage cerificate that listed Freddie Alexander as Joplin's wife after the breakup of his first marriage. A newspaper article mentioned her death some 2 months later and called her "Mrs. Scott Joplin" and this at a time when Joplin had divorced his first wife and before he was married to Lottie. So he had to have married Freddie Alexander. Berlin even printed the marriage certificate in his book "King of Ragtime" and so there can be no doubt that Joplin married 3 times and not 2.

Freddie was 18 when Joplin met her. Treemonisha is 18 in the opera. Freddie was born in Arkansas according to the marriage certificate. The opera takes place in Arkansas. There is no doubt that Joplin was memorializing his 2nd wife.

But most sources will still say that Lottie was Joplin's 2nd wife. She was not. Berlin's evidence is undeniable and the opera itself strongly hints that Berlin is right.

Glad you're checking up on Joplin. Too bad more people don't.