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Last Known Civil War Widow Dies at 97

Alberta Martin, the last known widow of a civil war veteran, has died at the age of 97. Alberta Martin married William Japser Martin, a Confederate veteran, in 1927, when she was 21 and he was 81. William Martin died less than four years later, and Alberta Martin married his grandson two months after that. Hear NPR's Melissa Block.

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As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.