Last Civil War Widow Passes Away

[Elxaime]

I had to do a double take when I saw this story in the January 7, 2021, edition of the Oregonian:

Civil War widow, likely the last, dies at 101; she was 17 when she married veteran, 93 - oregonlive.com

Such a poignant story.  As the story notes, this happened in the 1930's during the Great Depression.  The lady in question was a 17-year old caregiver for a 93-year old Union veteran who had served in the Missouri Cavalry during the US Civil War seven decades earlier.  She married him at his request so she could get his pension when he passed away, and they were never intimate.  Fearing gossip, she kept it secret until recent years, when her past was revealed to a minister and ended up being celebrated.  She never applied for the pension.  When her late husbands' family gave her a picture of him, she said he was the only man who ever loved her.

It is believed she was the last Civil War widow.  Amazing story to start 2021 with.