Fearless Females: Day 5–How did they meet?

March is National Women’s History Month and +Lisa Alzo at The Accidental Genealogist has presented the genealogical community with 31-derful writing prompts to encourage us to share our female ancestors.

No one knows for sure how Albert and Myrtie met – he was from Philadelphia, she from rural South Carolina – but it’s likely they they met after both making a big move to Charlotte, North Carolina.

In the early 1920s Myrtie Pound worked for telegraph service Western Union, in Columbia, South Carolina. Sometime between 1922 and 1925 Myrtie moved to Charlotte – since she was still with Western Union it’s possible that she moved as a part of a job transfer. In 1925 she lived at 301 E. Morehead along with her brother and sister.
 
It’s not clear when Grandpop first came to Charlotte; he was listed in the Philadelphia City Directory as an electrician in 1925 – however, there were no further listings for him after that, so it’s possible that he came to Charlotte around 1926. Grandmother isn’t found in the directory for 1929 although the rest of her family is – it’s likely she and Grandpop lived in Philadelphia that year.

Grandpop eventually became a television and radio repairman – considering Grandmother worked as a telegraph operator, I’ve often wondered if that was somehow what brought them together.

Fearless Females: Day 4–Marriage Records

March is National Women’s History Month and +Lisa Alzo at The Accidental Genealogist has presented the genealogical community with 31-derful writing prompts to encourage us to share our female ancestors.

Albert and Myrtie were married in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 24, 1929. The service was likely performed at Bethany Reformed Church and was conducted by the Rev. Gustaf A. Hauck.


Al had been a member of the church since his baptism there in 1918; Myrtie was raised in South Carolina and attended a Methodist church there. Bethany’s congregation was primarily German, and since services were performed in German it’s likely that their wedding was as well. Grandpop’s family spoke German and English in the home but it’s likely that Grandmother didn’t know any German at all – her family was composed of primarily German-Swiss immigrants, but they had been in America for nearly 200 years – old timers compared to the immigration of Grandpop’s family in the 1850s.

My family doesn’t have any photographs of Grandpop and Grandmother’s wedding but we do have pictures from their 50th wedding anniversary in 1979.