Two of the surprises I found concerned the wife of my Grandmother's Uncle Bill Sanders, Irena Pearl Soule.
The first surprise was related to the book he wrote: "Genealogy of the Sanders, Alison and Collateral Families Sullivan & Washington Counties Tennessee" compiled and published by him and printed in September 1972. He was quite detailed about some of the relatives he wrote about and some of the stories he included in the book. Then I read the section on him - he declined to write anything about himself instead my Uncle Clifford Ford did the write-up. Then I realized there was nothing included about Uncle Bill's wife, Pearl - not even her name was mentioned.
So, of course, then I had to attempt to find information on her. I had her basic information - birth place, birth date and death date from her obituary in the Kingsport Press. I found them in the 1920 Census living in Michigan - her widowed sister, Elsie Snow, was living in the same household as was my Uncle Clifford. I then found Pearl in the 1919 City Directory as Pearl Edgerton. So I started looking for a Pearl and Elsie Edgerton - assuming that was her maiden name. Well, I was wrong - I posted a message looking for information - and got the lead for Pearl Soule.
Turns out, the marriage to my Uncle Bill was her second marriage. Her first marriage was to Arthur Edgerton Christmas Day of 1903 in Georgetown, New York. Their son, Luman D. Edgerton was born October 5, 1907 and died on July 15, 1910. I haven't found a cause of death yet, but I can only imagine that the death of a three year old must be hard on a marriage.
In 1916, she was living in Detroit and working as a manicurist. She filed for divorce in MIchigan alleging extreme cruelty and desertion. Both of them re-married soon after the divorce was finalized in May of 1919. Aunt Pearl & Uncle Bill married in June 1919 and Arthur Edgerton married Alice Gilbert in February 1920 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.