Jerry,
My parents also eloped and under the same conditions too!! They wanted to
surprise everyone by seeing how long they could keep it a secret. They were
married in Angola, Indiana in Steuben County in 1938. After I read your
message I took a look at their original marriage papers. They are stamped with
a gold seal that reads "Steuben Circuit Court Indiana". You might want to try
Circuit court records before you give up on Steuben Co. Maybe when couples
eloped and had few witnesses their marriage records were treated differently.
I'ts just a thought.
Good luck.
Susan