Last Civil War Pensioner Dies at Age 90

And you thought everyone in country who could receive any benefits from anything related to the Civil War were long dead and buried? Well you were wrong.

Irene Triplett was receiving a Civil War pension until she passed away this past May 31. She was 90 years old. Irene was born in 1930, and she has received $73.13/month from the US government since 1938 because of her father who earned the pension after defecting from the Confederate Army.

So how did this all happen that she lasted this long?

Imagine that. A pension that began 155 years ago paid out by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs finally stopped in 2020. Mose Triplett married very late in life, to a woman 50 years his junior. Irene was born in 1930. Both she and her mother suffered from mental incapacities, so they qualified for government assistance. Mose died in 1938. Irene and her mother reportedly had few advantages in life, and lived in the Wilkes County Poor House for many years. Irene’s mother died in the late sixties, and Irene continued to receive assistance—and her daddy’s Civil War pension—for another 50-plus years.

The US government has been paying this pension for 155 years, and I can tell it hasn't had any cost of living increase too.

There is an interview with her in the article.

Anyhow, with all that's going on in the world, I just thought it was interesting. The last Civil War pension ... imagine that.

a reply to: ketsuko

That just goes to show how stupid pensions really are. 155 years.
You should never be paying somebody to not work for you.

It’s a huge pending problem for lots of cities and states.

Fascinating!!

a reply to: ketsuko

Someone shoulda got a bunch of inflation backpay. Sorry to see that they fell through the cracks all those years where life could have been far better for them than the poor house.

I'm sure there were millions of others on the same plan and maybe that's why they forgot about her.... Right?


Hey... That's Gubment 101 right there, in action. (Hate to make it political but it's pretty saddening that they left this lady behind).


Still pretty neat. Goes to show how far back 2 generations can go.

155 years paying a confederate bigot?

No I'm kidding but I said it in jest before someone does seriously!

Maybe she saw whats going on all across the nation and was like. 'I have already lived through one civil war I don't need to go through a second one. I'm outta here."

originally posted by: SolAquarius
Maybe she saw whats going on all across the nation and was like. 'I have already lived through one civil war I don't need to go through a second one. I'm outta here."

Really? She was born in 1930 and the Civil War ended in 1865. I'm having a little trouble following your logic here.

a reply to: schuyler

Ohh I admit it got caught I responded with out actually reading the article . how embarrassing.

Im usually not that bad but Oh-boy.

well uh my bad..I guess I should read the article.

Not quite 155 years, but Jimmy Carter has been getting a Presidential pension for about 40 years for 4 years in office. That's not too shabby. I am not sure if he gets a pension for his 4 years as Gov. of Georgia.

originally posted by: SolAquarius
a reply to: schuyler

Ohh I admit it got caught I responded with out actually reading the article . how embarrassing.

Im usually not that bad but Oh-boy.

well uh my bad..I guess I should read the article.

S'OK. Least you got a good attitude. :-)

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: ketsuko

That just goes to show how stupid pensions really are. 155 years.
You should never be paying somebody to not work for you.

It’s a huge pending problem for lots of cities and states.

A person works all their life, pays taxes hand over fist, with the promise of a pension and then, no?
It’s a huge pending problem, what being overtaxed?
Maybe we should take old people and turn them into food

How come so many other Western economies have pensions and free or cheap medication and the US, the worlds leader doesn’t?

Anyway, it strange a child receiving an parents pension for so long, doesn’t make sense.
A traitor to the south, not a bad choice to surrender and receive a pension like that

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: ketsuko

That just goes to show how stupid pensions really are. 155 years.
You should never be paying somebody to not work for you.

It’s a huge pending problem for lots of cities and states.

And your retirement is all self started?

a reply to: abeverage

I've been self employed for 20 years so pretty much. Yeah.

My point is that no employer should be paying a pension plan.
401k's are fine.
The employers obligation ends when the employee is no longer working.

City and state governments are not fully funding their retirement plans so are you as a taxpayer ready to bail them out?

a reply to: Raggedyman

We must fill the obligations already promised to people.
And ask anyone living in Chicago about taxes.

Higher taxes make higher prices.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Well vote for a responsible government, who is dumb enough to pay to much in pensions
Stupid People vote for stupid people, who runs Chicago

In my country we have health care, pensions, reasonable taxes
What’s wrong with you, oh immigrants?