Pearl Boatman was born on July 26, 1891 in Osborn, Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Frank Elias and Alice (Tipton) Boatman. Frank and Alice had three children; Ila Pearl (1891), John Clyde (1894), Carl (1905).

In the 1900 Federal Census, Pearl is found with her parents and a brother, John C Boatman. By the time of the 1910 Federal Census, Frank and Alice have three children; Pearl, Clyde J and Carl. Frank is a clerk and they live in Hennessey, Oklahoma.

On September 4, 1912, Pearl married Ira Earnest Crites in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. By the 1920 Federal Census, Pearl and Ira Crites have two children; Ira(1917) and Fern (1918). Also living with them is Cyrus and Opal Crites(1904), who were siblings of Ira and Carl Boatman (1904) who was the brother of Pearl. No age is listed for Cyrus but he is a widower. Ira’s mother died in 1918 and Pearl’s mother died on May 1, 1919. Wonder if this was during the influenza pandemic? Quite obviously the children of these two mothers went to live with other family members. Ira is a Thresherman in the Grain Industry.

In the 1930 Federal Census, Pearl and “Earnest” Ira are living in Jet, Oklahoma. They have five children; Ira O., Fern O , Jack E. (1921), Evelyn P. (1927), Roy C (1929). Ira is working in the Cement Industry as a Cement Mixer Operator.

By the 1940 Federal Census, Pearl and Ira have moved their family across the country to Mercer, California. Several of the siblings of both Ira and Pearl had moved to Californian prior to their move. Earnest is a cement finisher. All five of the children remain with them even though Ira and Fern are now adults, twenty three and twenty two years of age, Jack is nineteen, Evelyn and Roy are still in school and are thirteen and eleven,

Forty nine years ago on April 20, 1972, Pearl Crites died in Stanislaus County, California. She was eighty years old. She is buried in Evergreen Memorial Park in Mercer, California in Section 15 Plot 57 with her husband who had died earlier.

Rest in peace, Pearl!

Love, Jan

Pearl Boatman Crites was the wife of my second cousin three times removed, Ira Earnest Crites.