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Our monthly trivia round-up started with July, named after Julius Caesar – now we reach the segment of the year named after the emperor Augustus. It’s the month with the shortest war in history, the theft of the Mona Lisa, and the execution of William Wallace. You won’t believe what happened to his left leg…
James Richard Gessner, 83, of Lecanto, FL and Duluth, MN, died Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at Vitas Hospice House in Lecanto. He was born May 13, 1938 in Duluth to Lester and Helen Viola “Vi” (Johnson) Gessner. A 1956 graduate of Duluth East High School, he continued his education at UW/Madison, graduating with a Bachelor of Administration in 1960. Jim served his country in the Army Infantry during the Berlin Crisis. His basic training in infantry training began in September 1960 at Fort Leonard Wood, MS, followed by officer training at Fort Benning, GA. He was then stationed at Fort Lewis, ...
KOAM Married the 93-year-old soldier in 1936 January 8, 2021 8:38 AM Kaden Milner MARSHFIELD, Mo. – The last surviving widow of a Civil War soldier has died. Helen Viola Jackson of Marshfield, Missouri was just 17- years-old when she married 93- year- old James Bolin in 1936. She was a caregiver for the Civil War veteran, who served in the Union army. Jackson claimed Bolin proposed to her so he could pass on his pension to her after he died, to repay her for her services. This was during the Great Depression when many Americans were struggling. The young bride says ...
Helen Viola Jackson, last known Civil War widow, dead at 101 By JIM SALTER Helen Viola Jackson O'FALLON, Mo. - Helen Viola Jackson's 1936 marriage to James Bolin was unusual to say the least: He was 93 and in declining health, and she was a 17-year-old schoolgirl. Bolin was also a Civil War veteran who fought for the Union in the border state of Missouri. Jackson was almost certainly the last remaining widow of a Civil War soldier when she died Dec. 16 at a nursing home in Marshfield, Missouri. She was 101. Several Civil War heritage organizations have recognized Jackson’s quiet role in hi...