Driveway Moment^SM

Civil War Widows
A portrait of two Civil War widows.
All Things Considered - July 1, 1998

Suggested by Steve, who listens to Oregon Public Broadcasting:

"All Things Considered did a story about five years ago (or so) that may well have been entitled the "Last Civil War Widows." It was about two elderly women who had each married much older men, years ago, and those men were Civil War veterans.

The women spoke about their lives and their marriages. One of them said she met her husband in church when she was a teenager. Someone in church had said that the man wanted to meet her and she laughed at what an old man he was when she looked at him. Then she said, "but the joke was on me," because he turned out to be a wonderful man.

Such simple truth, spoken so plainly and simply with conviction. I have never forgotten it, and I appreciate the ability of the journalist responsible for being able to go out and record this story so that it was presented to the listener so candidly. I always think of that story when I renew my public radio membership."

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