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Young Man Joins Confederate Army, Finds a Wife

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LiliGraphie/Fotolia
Sometimes honor leads to love.

The Childreth family history begins with Andrew Jackson Childreth (Jack as he was always known). When a young man, Jack Childreth enlisted in the Confederate Army, and he was in the 52nd Regiment from Illinois. While in the Civil War, he and another young man by the last name of Owen became real buddies. The young man had to leave his bride of a short time when he was drafted. She was pregnant, and he talked and worried about her and the coming child.

The two men fought side-by-side, and Owen was mortally wounded. When he was dying, he asked Jack Childreth to find his wife when the war was over and marry her, if she consented. Jack agreed, and did just that. Her name was Paralee Jenkins Owen, and the baby was named Lizzie.

Julia Oleeta Childreth Bolinger
Pretty Prairie, Kansas


Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then CAPPER’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from CAPPER’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.