Pinterest Surprises and A Wartime Romance

   

     A sharp, aching pain was running behind my right shoulder blade, and I was frustrated.  I had remained hunched over my keyboard for hours, determined to find a copy of my Grandmother and Grandfather Poynter's marriage certificate.  I knew that they had eloped during WWII, but apparently they had left the state to do so.  It was getting late at night; I was in pain, and I was irritated.  It is not an enjoyable experience when you hit a road block, but in my experience, stepping away from your research for a while, you will approach the subject with a fresh perspective and be more successful later. So, I decided to go to bed. Grudgingly, I unplugged the laptop and lugged it upstairs to the bedroom. Mike was out of town, and I wanted to browse Facebook and Pinterest for a while before falling asleep.  I scrolled through pictures of dessert recipes, Joanna Gaines inspired decorating tips, and French cafes, but my tired mind could not let go of my grandparents.  I went to the search field and typed in "marriage records."  A slew of sites popped up, and I set to pinning them for later when my mind was fresh.  I rolled over on my side, laptop beside me, and went to the search field one last time.  The keys clicked sharply as I sarcastically typed "Marcia and Robert Poynter" in the box.  The page slowly buffered as my heavy eyelids closed for a minute's rest.  My eyes opened to a sight that caused me to wonder if I was still asleep.  My grandparents smiled sweetly at me from their engagement photo as if to say,  "Here we are!  Keep trying!"

     I sat upright and stared at the screen.  Really?  Of all places, I found them on Pinterest?  I read the description of the pin and smiled.  Yes, theirs was a romantic beginning, and I was happy that their story had put a smile on a stranger's face. I still didn't have their marriage record, but I had a renewed belief that I would be successful in my search.

      Eventually, I did find their marriage record.  I remembered that there was a newspaper article in the Macon Telegraph about their war time romance, so I went to Archives.com and luckily found the article. Within the article, I discovered that they eloped to Arkansas, and from there I found their marriage record online.  Even though the Pinterest pin did not directly lead me to the information I was looking for, it taught me a valuable lesson: you can find information on your ancestors in places that you would never have imagined was possible.  That social media site that you think would be a waste of time to try?  Give it a go.  You never know what you will find. 

     If you have a moment, I would like to briefly tell you the romantic story that inspired a stranger to pin their photo on Pinterest.   

Marcia and Bob's Wartime Romance

     World War II was well-underway, and my grandmother was one of the many young American women working in nontraditional jobs to support the war effort.  Marcia Everett donned an olive drab uniform and moved to Jacksonville, Florida where she logged her days at the Jacksonville Naval Station Air Force Base, proudly serving her country.  By all accounts, she seemed to enjoy her freedom and her life despite the war.  She had survived the Great Depression as a young woman, and had developed the determination and iron will that her generation was well known for.  Her parents lived nearby, and she had plenty of friends and cousins to keep her entertained.  Marcia spoke her mind and lived the life that she saw fit to follow. Who knows if romance was even on her mind when a squadron of British Royal Air Force Cadets arrived on base for training?  But one thing is for sure--- a handsome cadet from England named Bob Poynter stole her heart.  It could have been his British accent, his amber eyes or his easy smile that caught her off-guard.  Or maybe it was a wicked wit and a confident spirit...I will never know how he was able to carry such an independent woman off in a wild storm of emotions and blow her away, but blow her away he did.

Marcia Aileen Everett

     Marcia and Bob spent every moment possible in each other's arms, taking nothing for granted in their rapidly changing world.  Sadly, the war had its own plans for them that did not include staying in Florida, caught up in the breathtaking winds of a new romance. Marcia was suddenly transferred to a base in Memphis, Tennessee.  At the same time, Bob was involved in an accident at sea in which his plane was forced to land on water. He volunteered to climb out onto the wing of the plane to work on the problem.  However, he was thrown in the water, and was pulled under.  He struggled in the water for forty-five minutes---  a time period long enough to seriously damage his lungs.  He was in the hospital for sometime, and upon recovering, received a furlough. I am sure that he was feeling his own mortality and the desire to live his life without regrets as he drove to Tennessee to visit Marcia. I wonder how long he thought about proposing to her.  Did he consider that one of them would have to leave their home country and start fresh in a new culture?  Or did he jump in, heart first, and hold fast to the strong feelings that stormed around him despite warnings to slow down?  I am not sure how he proposed, but he did, and Marcia decided to jump into the future alongside of him.  

     I can only imagine how their hearts must have hurt as they were faced with the news that they had to have known was inevitable. Bob was ordered to ship off to Canada for further training and then return to England to fight the Nazi's.   Excited for a new future together, Marcia and Bob eloped to Arkansas where the marriage laws allowed for a quicker marriage than in Florida or Georgia where Marcia had grown up.  It is at this point that Marcia made a courageous decision, one that had her hometown of Macon, Georgia abuzz with excitement.  She decided that she would travel to England where Bob was fighting and join the British Women's Auxiliary Air Force to drive an ambulance.  I wonder if there were arguments over her decision to join him in England---after all, she was removing herself from the relative safety of the States for war-torn Britain where bombs were steadily falling.  Was she thinking clearly about her decision, or did this hurricane have her so swept away that all she wanted was to be near him, helping him in whatever way she could?  All of Macon, Georgia (where her parents lived) was electrified with the news.  The story had all of the hallmarks of a great romance, and Marcia was a bit of a celebrity for a while.  

     I have a copy of the newspaper article from the Macon Telegraph in which her mother was interviewed after Marcia had left for England.  It is a full page article, and discusses her romance with Robert, the decision to join him in England, her mother's unconditional love for Marcia, and yes, even Marcia's love of cats.  I am delighted that I have this article.  It is clear how much Great Grandmother Everett adored and doted on her only child---the reporter even mentions the wall in her house dedicated to picture after picture of my grandmother and the embarrassed protests that she made against this virtual shrine.  It seems like a scene from any modern family's home, and thanks to the article, I have insight into my great grandmother's personality even though I never met her.

     I have no stories of what life was like for them during the war while they lived in England, but I do know that eventually Bob was sent to officer's training school and Marcia was allowed to resign from the WAAF to be near him.  They survived the war and after a time moved back to the States, probably so that Marcia could be near her family.   

     In the years following the war, the winds that caught them up swirled out of control, and as with any hurricane, the result was destruction.  However, what a beginning they had, and the result of their romance, no matter how sad on one level, ended with my uncles who I love with all my heart,  a dear half-aunt, half-cousins, and my father who gave me life.  So Marcia and Bob, here is to taking a chance on your great adventure that is warming people's hearts even today.

Happy Hunting,

Catherine

Grandfather Poynter, My Dad And Uncles