Last Civil War Veteran Widow Dies
The last living widow of a veteran of the U.S. civil war recently died. She had married the man when he was in his 70s and she a quite young girl.
It is interesting to speculate, when contemplating this woman, that if you look hard enough you can probably find people still alive today who actually knew people who were alive during that civil war era.
(Thanks to Susan Fallon.)
My dad (he's in his mid 70's) has told me that when he was a boy he met a friend's grandfather who was a Civil War veteran.
I've been trying to get as many photos of my sons (2 and 4) with WWII veterans as possible. I think it will fascinate his grandchildren to see such pictures. Trying to convince my neighbor, a WWII B17 mechanic, to make a visit to the Wright Patterson Airforce Museum for some pictures and stories in front of a B17. He has a lot of great stories. It's sad to see so many leaving us. There is a saying, something like "every time an elderly dies, a library is burned down". Can't remember the exact quote but it's so true.
My grandfather's great uncle was a civil war veteran. Also, some of the oldest tourguides at Gettysburg would have met Civil War veterans at an encampment.
As an amateur geneaologist I am often struck by similar meetings. When we forget time and simply focus on the people we can better appreciate history. In Mike's instance, what a story his father could have told had his friend's grandfather met a veteran from the Revolutionary war and told him about it.
I wonder if that's what people had before television and the media in general. The past seems much closer to you when it is personalized in such a way. It grounds one much deeper in one's place in life.
Simply flabbergasting - especially considering that the woman's son by the Confederate vet is still alive...there's a son of a Confederate veteran still living 139 years after the end of the Civil War.
The Calblog husband said there are about 200 sons and daughters of Civil War veterans still alive. Scary, but he knows stuff like that. I mentioned this widow to him and he said "yeah, I heard she was sick."
Justene,
Geesh! And I thought my brain was over-filled with useless information...I stand humbly before the more trivial mind.
:o)
Does anyone Know of any WW1 veterans still alive or even spanish american war veterans( that is probably pusing it lol).