Oldest person you ever knew?

[HudsonHawk]

I was wondering about that the other day. How many children of Confederate veterans are still alive? As you know, during the depression, it was almost a sport for young women to seek out the veterans because of their pensions. Not sure when the last child was born? Since! know quite a few people born in the 1930s, it stands to reason there are at least a few left!

There can't be many. A Civil War vet would have had to been born no later than about 1850, which by 1930 would have made him 80 years old. Probably not a lot had children at that age, and their kids would be 85 now. There may be a few, but given that there aren't even any WWI vets left, I can't imagine it's many.

 

[Stanley Doble]

According to this US News story the federal government is still paying out one Civil War pension.

http://www.usnews.com/news/newsgram...terans-pension-remains-on-governments-payroll

As the story dates from 2013 this may have changed.

They say the pension amounts to $876 a year. Quite a bit of money in 1865, not so much now.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Here is a copy of my great-great grandmother's Confederate Widow's pension application:



A couple of things that strike me:

1. Reason for discharge: "Surrender of General Lee"

2. There's a list of all that she owned:

160 acres of land valued at $700
1 wagon, 1 buggy and household goods valued at $75
1 mule and 6 head of cattle valued at $150

For a grand total of $925.

 

[Stearmen]

There can't be many. A Civil War vet would have had to been born no later than about 1850, which by 1930 would have made him 80 years old. Probably not a lot had children at that age, and their kids would be 85 now. There may be a few, but given that there aren't even any WWI vets left, I can't imagine it's many.

Actually, there would have been younger veterans. While the official age was 18, they took younger, and of course Drummer Boys were as young as 12. So, if one was 12 in 1865, by 1930, he would have been a spry, 77!

 

[Stearmen]

According to this US News story the federal government is still paying out one Civil War pension.

http://www.usnews.com/news/newsgram...terans-pension-remains-on-governments-payroll

As the story dates from 2013 this may have changed.

They say the pension amounts to $876 a year. Quite a bit of money in 1865, not so much now.

Good find! Since only children that became disabled before 18 continued to receive the pension, that means there are probably some that did not, that are still alive. There is an argument on when the last veteran died! For sure the last Union veteran died in 1956 age 109. The man who claimed to be a Confederate veteran died in 1958 at age 112. But, I understand that some of his story just doesn't add up, so there is some doubt. He did receive a Confederate military funeral.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Who was paying Confederate soldiers pensions? It was my understanding that the Confederacy ceased to exist after 1865.

And that this led to the custom in the South, of giving wounded veterans preference when it came to civil service jobs. Eventually any kind of injury or disability became an advantage when running for office. Someone who had lost an arm in a saw mill accident and had 10 children was a shoo in although you would not think such a record of carelessness was much of a recommendation.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Who was paying Confederate soldiers pensions? It was my understanding that the Confederacy ceased to exist after 1865.
[

Each state had its own pension program, paid for by the state, with their own guidelines. So Virginia had one, North Carolina had one, Florida had one etc.

 

[LuvMyMan]

My Husband's family has a friend she was a neighbor during his childhood and her name was Mable Poorman. She lived next to my Husband's Grandfather for many years and then moved out west. She was 104 when she passed. My Husband's Great Grandfather lived to be 99 years old, he passed away in 1962. My own Mother is 93 and is in good medical health but has the mind of a 2 year old and going down hill fairly fast from Dementia.

 

[Trapped in T-wilight Zone]

For what it is worth, and as Stearmen and others have mentioned, there is doubt of the accuracy of the tale. However, I have a clear memory from when I was about four years old (this would have been about 1956). We were visiting some people that I did not know, but my parents apparently did. I do not remember who those people were. A bunch of people were standing around, drinks in hand, talking about I have no idea what. There was a very old man sitting in a chair near the side of a large room, I was told he was related to the hosts. One of the ladies hosting the get-together, insisted on introducing me to the old man, and told me that he had fought in the Civil War. If I properly remember what I did not yet understand, he had been on the South.
I had told this tale on another history site I frequent, and it was pointed out that the last official veterans had passed away shortly prior to my opportunity to meet him. He may have been one of those late underage and unofficial inductees. One thing that impressed me, even at that age, was that these people were very proud of the old man, and their Confederate heritage.
The entire event left quite an impression on me for a long time. I have thought for years that it was one of the pivotal events that drove me to a lifelong interest in history. Even though I never really knew who they were.

 

[Stearmen]

Gertrude Weaver passed away at 116. She became the oldest person only last week. Unfortunately, that means we are down to only three people born during the 19th century!

 

[Stearmen]

Sadly, there are now only two people in the entire world who were born in the 19th century! Jeralean Talley, passed away on June 17, 2015, age 116. That leaves only, Susannah Mushatt Jones, born July 6, 1899 United States and Emma Morano, born November 29, 1899 Italy. I am not sure why there is so little interest on this sight, for what is a very interesting subject. So much of what we like about the Golden Age, was created by people born in the late 19th century, and now they are almost all gone!

 

[swanson_eyes]

I forget how old she got to be (96, 97?), but I do know my mom's paternal grandmother was born in 1896. Her son (Mom's dad) died at 93, I think. We live a long time in this family, provided we have adequate health.