William and Ella Paynter were married at the Grand Reformed Church, Asbury Park in July, 1877. They set up housekeeping in a little cottage on Asbury Avenue and in 1882 moved to Ocean Park, which was not yet part of Bradley Beach. They opened a store on Main Street. Mr. Paynter was in charge of the store and made frequent trips to Philadelphia to purchase merchandise. Mrs. Paynter tended shop in his absence and did sewing for customers requiring her services. After a fire leveled their business, the couple opened a grocery store at 900 Main Street in 1907 (the location of Your Carpet Store today). Besides her duties as business partner, housewife and mother, Ella was active in organizing the Methodist Church.
William lived to celebrate the couple’s 60th wedding anniversary. Ella lived another ten years, dying at age 80 in June of 1947.
Excerpted from a feature article in the Asbury Park Press 9/20/70