How did Pearl Meet Charles?

William Norborne Pattie was born on 11 May 1905 in Roanoke, Virginia, to Otho Thomas Pattie and Garnett Pearl Wade. His father worked for Norfolk & Western as a machinist. William apprenticed for the railroad and also became a machinist like his father.

He married Eunice Virginia Cromer, daughter of Frank Lewis Cromer and Alice Inez Powell, about 1925 or 1926. They had a daughter, Norma Jean Pattie, on 29 June 1926 in Roanoke. Eunice died two months later on 6 August 1926 of a postnatal infection.

Otho Thomas Pattie, William's father died in 1927. His daughter, Norma Jean, lived with her widowed grandmother, Pearl.

William married Ruby Pauline Smith about 1927 or 1928 and they had two children. 

His mother, Pearl, also married again to Charles Stewart (or Stuart) Powell, who was 20 years older than her and a widower. They married sometime between 1930 and 1933 when Charles died of pneumonia. Charles' daughter from his first marriage was the informant for the personal information on his death certificate. She indicated he was a widower. However, the 1932 Roanoke city directory listed Pearl as the wife of Charles S Powell at 549 Day Avenue, SW, which was Pearl's home when her first husband was alive. Her headstone listed her name as Pearl Pattie Powell and her death certificate stated Charles S. Powell had been her husband before his death.

So how exactly did Pearl and Charles meet before their brief marriage?  

While researching this family group, a few names seemed familiar. By investigating the spouses of William and his mother, Pearl -- the Cromer and Powell families -- I learned Charles Stewart Powell (Pearl's second husband) was the maternal grandfather of Eunice Virginia Cromer (William's first wife).

Do you suppose Charles and Pearl met though his granddaughter and her son?

Relationship between the Cromer, Pattie and Powell families; created using
Microsoft Powerpoint

This is why I enjoy researching my collateral ancestors so much. The connections and relationships to others provide more context about the lives of our direct ancestors.

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Garnett Pearl (Wade) Pattie Powell, who went by Pearl, was third cousin twice removed. She desended from my four times great grandfather as follows: Daniel Mitchell, Sr. >> Matilda (Mitchell) Stevens (or Stephens) >> Elizabeth J. (Stevens) Wade >> Garnett Pearl (Wade) Pattie Powell.