The Widow's Secret-- Part 7: Lived Along Route 66 in Marshfield

Of course. Helen Jackson lived her whole life with heavy emotional baggage from her short marriage to James Bolin.  What would people think of her when  and if they found out about that staggering age difference?

In Marshfield, Missouri, she was employed at a wood-working factory and later as a substitute cook in local schools.  She lived alone in a farmhouse along Route 66 and became an active member of the Elkland (Mo.) Independent Methodist Church.

For 81 years, she kept her secret.

Then, her pastor, Nicholas Inman found out about her former marriage and he set out to find out if she was indeed the last Civil War widow.

Stories of "last" Civil War widows come around every so often.  The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War confirmed Jackson as the "last" publicly documented widow.  But, who knows if there are still any other widows out there harboring secrets of their own?

--Old Secesh