On February 8, 1899, at the age of fifty, Earl Sloan married Bertha Woolaver (occasionally spelled "Wolaver"), a Newport native, who had gone to Boston to pursue a nursing career. Just prior to their engagement, Earl had been having dinner at Bertha's father's house in Nova Scotia, and had asked for an introduction. What followed was a whirlwind courtship, followed soon after by Earl's proposal to her, giving her two weeks to prepare for their wedding and a trip to Europe afterward, which would serve as both a honeymoon and a business trip. The couple never had children.