Less than three years after the marriage, on June 18, 1939, James Bolin died at the home of his daughter, Martha, after a lengthy illness. In the local newspaper, the 96-year-old veteran's obituary listed his next of kin as two daughters, besides Martha, two sons, 17 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great grand children. There was no mention of Helen Jackson.
Helen Jackson did no go to the funeral service either.
Soon after Bolin's death, one of his daughters threatened to out Helen Jackson if she filed for James' veterans pension. Petrified of having her reputation ruined by a revelation, she never did.
Around World War II, Jackson moved to nearby Marshfield, roughly seven miles from Niangua to escape potential "wagging tongues." Worried that if she ever got serious about a man he would discover her secret, Jackson never dated or married.
Meanwhile her many brothers and sisters married and raised families. Later, she cared for her aging parents. Her mom died in 1953, her dad in 1972. Her last sibling died in 2019.
--Old Secesh
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