Nora Lee

This is my grandmother Nora, she was born in 1896 and died when I was eight years old. When Nora was three years old her 26 year old mother married a 57 year old widowed gentleman. It was not uncommon then for a young woman to marry an older widower, especially since women sometimes died young, leaving behind a husband and children. Her husband had lost an arm during a charge at the Battle of Winchester on August 17, 1864. He was 22 years old at the time and a member of the 36th Virginia Infantry Regiment, under the command of General John McCausland and Colonial William E. Fife. The 36th Infantry disband April 12, 1865 in Christiansburg, Virginia, after hearing of General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox, Virginia. In 1888, twenty-five years after losing his arm in the war the State of Virginia granted a pension to soldiers who were injured or maimed; he received $30 annually.
I have always had an interest in the who, what, when, where and how about the history of my family. It has been so wonderful to discover the lives of those who came before us. Share these stories with your family, talk to older family members about their experiences growing up. You will be so glad you did! A good place to start is http://www.ancestry.com