Irene Triplett (January 9, 1930May 31, 2020) was the last recipient of an

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

pension. Her father fought for both the Confederacy and later the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

in the war.

Biography

Triplett was born in 1930 to Mose Triplett, age 83, and Elida Hall, age 34. She was one of five children, of whom only she and her brother survived childhood. Her father, who had fought for both the Confederacy and the

during the Civil War, was aged 78 when he married her mother; their union was Mose Triplett's second marriage. Irene Triplett grew up on her father's farm in

Wilkes County, North Carolina Wilkes County is a county located in the US state of North Carolina. It is a part of the state's western mountain region. As of the 2020 census the population was 65,969, in 2010 the census listed the population at 69,340. Its county seat is ...

. According to Triplett, she suffered a difficult childhood and was regularly beaten by both her parents and schoolteachers. Classmates teased her about her father whom they denounced as a "traitor". Triplett was mentally disabled. Her education ended at the sixth grade and, in 1943, she moved with her mother and brother to a

poorhouse A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy. Workhouses In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), ‘workhouse’ has been the ...

, where she remained until 1960. She later lived in private nursing homes until her death. According to acquaintances, she was a regular user of

chewing tobacco Chewing tobacco is a type of smokeless tobacco product that is placed between the cheek and lower gum to draw out its flavor. Some users chew it, others do not. It consists of coarsely chopped aged tobacco that is flavored and often sweetened; ...

and was a fan of gospel music. Triplett died on May 31, 2020, following complications from surgery.

Pension

Triplett's father died in 1938 at the age of 92, after which she collected his civil war pension of $73.13 per month from the

Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

; her cognitive impairments qualified her to inherit the pension as a helpless child of a veteran. The total amount of benefits she received was about $73,000, or $344,000 when adjusted for inflation. Widespread public awareness of Triplett's status occurred in 2013 as the result of a '' Daily Mail'' story about her. After the 2018 death of Fred Upham, the son of William H. Upham, she became the last surviving child of a Civil War veteran.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Triplett, Irene 1930 births 2020 deaths People from Wilkes County, North Carolina 20th-century American women 21st-century American women

Biography

Pension

See also

References