Gertrude Janeway, a civil war widow dies

[Paul]

   Gertrude Janeway, whose only husband was a Union soldier and a paroled POW, has passed away. The US civil war ended in 1865.


Civil War widow Gertrude Janeway dies at age 93
By DUNCAN MANSFIELD Associated Press
with a photo of John & Gertrude Janeway.

The BBC includes a photo of the Janeway's log cabin: Last Yankee war widow dies


A Love Story: John Janeway and Gertrude Grubb


      Paul

[COCatMama]

ummm is that even possible!?!?! she wasn't born until what, 1907???!?!

[COCatMama]

oooh this makes it make sense:

Bedridden for years, she died Friday, more than six decades after the passing of John Janeway, who married her when he was 81 and she was barely 18


but like, EWWWW 18 and 81?? blecchh

[Miss Meow]

I read the article. Apparently he was 81 and she barely 18 when they married!!!

ooops, you just beat me Lalania!

[Twisterdog]

Oh my .... that is rather strange.

I suppose he was a very wealthy civil war veteran to get an 18 year old to marry him when he was 81! Yikes!

[Paul]

   Gertrude Janeway said she married for love. I choose to believe her.

   John Janeway asked to marry Gertrude when she was 15. They married when she was 18.

      Paul

[popcornbird]

18 and 81?!?!?!
OMG!

Suppose the 18 year old girl's mom was 39, her grandmother 60, and her great grandmother 81. Its very possible saying everyone on married by 20-21. HE COULD BE HER GREAT GRANDFATHER! Ewww. If that happened to me, I'd rather die!

[COCatMama]

yeah and ppl made fun of Anna Nichole Smith marrying that old geezer cause HE had money haha and she was waaaayyyy older than 18 too sheesh

[Paul]

   If John Janeway was an old mangy pet that no one else wanted he would receive sympathy and people would believe Gertrude's story of adopting him out of love at first sight. Shouldn't an old man get at least as much respect?

      Paul

[Twisterdog]

Paul, I think our different opinions on this come from the fact that we're commenting from the woman's point of view ... and you from the man's. Because to 99.99999% of 18 year old women (or 40 year old women, for that matter!) the thought of ummmm ... intimate relations with an 81 year old man is just .... well ... not very pleasant!!

[COCatMama]

TD: not to mention disappointing
Paul : think on it like this, would it be okay to you for an 81 year old woman to try to marry a 15 year old kid? (Ms. Janeway was 15 when the old geezer was trying to get with her)

[Paul]

   Generalizations don't work. I would not say, "well, I am coming from a man's point of view which is pure love. Not a women's point of view requires youthful physical beauty."

   Perhaps, I am the only one to believe Gertrude.

      Paul

[Nomilynn]

This makes me SO sad.. she loved him so much she never married again? Can you imagine.. set aside the age difference.. you are married to the person you love more than life itself, and your time is cut short. Too short. And you loved so deeply you would rather be alone than with anyone else. I'm sorry, but I'm crying.. what a beautiful woman she must have been.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I, too, thought it a fantastic story. It was a different time and place. Her father died at 69 -- Gertrude was 13 and her brother 1. Obviously older man married younger woman.

Gertrude was disabled -- in a time when that could be a sentence for loneliness.

And it was a love match. Maybe not what I would chose...but a fascinating look at history none the less! A world long gone.

[Logan]

I'm glad you shared this, Paul. I look forward to reading the links you posted.

Now that I have read all three links, I think this says it all:

The single question left for Gertrude is this: Why did a pretty young girl marry such an old man in the last years of his life?

Gertrude is quick to answer that one. She doesn't blink. She doesn't even have to think about it. Her eyes flash and her face beams. "I loved him, I adored him," she said.

I think those that are questioning this story really need to look at the situation these folks were in and try to understand. This is a very rural area of TN, and I don't think such age differences were even questioned then. I think the whole story is just beautiful! Thank you, Paul.