44. It Was An Interesting Arrangement

Helen Jackson was married to 93-year-old Union veteran James Bolin during the Great Depression era when she was just 17. It was not a romantic arrangement but more a gesture of kindness. James Bolin was struggling at the time due to his age, and Jackson had been helping him with chores.

Unable to think of another way to repay her for the kindness, he offered to legally marry her so she would be able to receive his pension after he died. This was not an entirely uncommon practice of the time. They kept their marriage secret to protect her reputation until a few years before her death when she realized the significance of it.