Stuart Flora Cooke Stuart and J.E.B. Stuart

[CSA Today]

Mrs. Flora Cooke Stuart, the widow of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart, remained in heavy morning for 59 years after the 1864 death of her husband, wearing black until she died in 1923. By contrast, a widower was expected to mourn for only three months, simply by displaying black crepe on his hat or armband.

 

[Northern Light]

Expired Image Removed
Flora at age 40 approx from Pinterest, but I am beginning to wonder. The eyebrows seem right, but what does anyone else think?

 

[diane]

She was quite an accomplished lady. Jeb's brother had taken out a life insurance policy on Jeb - Flora had that for quite a while as it was a good large sum, but then it ran out and she took up teaching with Jeb's sister. Did well at that, too! It's funny but she always seemed to like rather drab colors and Jeb would try to get her to wear something brighter! He might have been following her around saying, "Here, try this pink dress on! How about the red one? Blue? Anything but black!" She also followed Jeb's last instructions, educating his children in the South. She lived for a while in the North with her parents, then went back to Virginia.

 

[K Hale]

The second photo looks just like her. Is there doubt?

 

[Rebforever]

"Stuart Hall School was founded in 1844 as the Virginia Female Institute, and from its earliest years, has provided an excellent liberal arts education, and has endeavored to develop the character and personal honor of every student. From its first headmistress, Ms. Maria Hanson Sheffey, to our current Head of School, Mr. Mark Eastham, each leader of what is now Stuart Hall School has set both high academic and high personal standards for the school community. Mrs. General J.E.B. Expired Image RemovedStuart, for whom the school is now named and who directed the school from 1880-1899, said, "The school's high character in every department gives it an enviable name among schools." Her sentiments remain true today. Despite the tumultuous history Virginia faced during the Civil War and Reconstruction, our original buildings still stand, and our original aim is now central to our mission. Since 1844, Stuart Hall School has educated students from Virginia and around the world, and has placed those students at top colleges and universities for nearly two centuries."

http://www.stuarthallschool.org/history-school

 

[donna]

She has Memorial on Find A Grave.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6927972

 

[Rebforever]

During the CW, the Virginia School for Deaf and Blind moved the children from that school over to The Girls School, or Stuart Hall, and used VSDB as a hospital.

 

[War Horse]

A beautiful lady. As Foote tells it, Once J.E.B was informed his wound was mortal he asked his surgeon if he would live long enough to see his wife (she was in route to his location) Sadley the surgeon told him he would not. She arrived just two hours after his death.

 

[Northern Light]

The second photo looks just like her. Is there doubt?

Probably not,but since it came from pinterest, I was just checking. Eye colour was different, but that is subjective, as is the curly hair. As well, the OP says she remained in heavy morning, while in this picture she is dressed in grey,which indicates that she is past heavy black mourning. Just checking with experts.

 

[donna]

Another sad story, Too bad he couldn't have lived long enough to see her.

 

[diane]

Another sad story, Too bad he couldn't have lived long enough to see her.

It's possible my husband's ancestor might be responsible for delaying her. Walter "Honeybun" Hullihen was an aide to Stuart and sent the note to Flora. He minimized the situation, not wanting to alarm her, and so she did a couple things before setting out. May not have made any difference, considering the real nature of the injury, but Hullihen felt bad about it! He was a favorite of Stuart's, who picked him out at Antietam - he'd gotten shot up but was showing a lot of grit. Stuart got him a promotion and put him on his personal staff so he could groom him up for advancement.

 

[FarawayFriend]

Expired Image Removed
Flora at age 40 approx from Pinterest, but I am beginning to wonder. The eyebrows seem right, but what does anyone else think?

She has changed a lot, that's true, but she was very young on the first one. Look at her nose and right upper lip, they are the same. And as you have already remarked, the blue eyes change a lot and I'm afraid have the wrong colour, I think she would have brown eyes.

A beautiful lady. As Foote tells it, Once J.E.B was informed his wound was mortal he asked his surgeon if he would live long enough to see his wife (she was in route to his location) Sadley the surgeon told him he would not. She arrived just two hours after his death.

Here is a description of the last hours of JEB Stuart, very sad, very touching, from the book "Life of Jeb Stuart" by Mary Williamson.
http://books.google.de/books?id=OyWkosXrEOgC&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=jeb stuart tiny confederate flag hat&source=bl&ots=uDjaLzDV6P&sig=oGzpW4NOx3TUXKi6uZ6DdtIxdhk&hl=de&sa=X&ei=EBcsVIGbGs3YPb_zgLAK&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=jeb stuart tiny confederate flag hat&f=false
https://archive.org/details/lifeofjebstuart00will

It seems to be a great book, another one which I definitely want to read. If you like it too, you can download it here:
https://archive.org/details/lifeofjebstuart00will

 

[War Horse]

She has changed a lot, that's true, but she was very young on the first one. Look at her nose and right upper lip, they are the same. And as you have already remarked, the blue eyes change a lot and I'm afraid have the wrong colour, I think she would have brown eyes.



Here is a description of the last hours of JEB Stuart, very sad, very touching, from the book "Life of Jeb Stuart" by Mary Williamson.
http://books.google.de/books?id=OyWkosXrEOgC&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=jeb stuart tiny confederate flag hat&source=bl&ots=uDjaLzDV6P&sig=oGzpW4NOx3TUXKi6uZ6DdtIxdhk&hl=de&sa=X&ei=EBcsVIGbGs3YPb_zgLAK&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=jeb stuart tiny confederate flag hat&f=false
https://archive.org/details/lifeofjebstuart00will

It seems to be a great book, another one which I definitely want to read. If you like it too, you can download it here:
https://archive.org/details/lifeofjebstuart00will

Thank you very much!

 

[diane]

Flora died on May 10, 1923 - two days before her husband had died on May 12 - after falling and banging her head on a sidewalk in Norfolk. Her daughter Virginia was a widow and Flora had been helping with the grandchildren. She was 87.

 

[Northern Light]

Flora died on May 10, 1923 - two days before her husband had died on May 12 - after falling and banging her head on a sidewalk in Norfolk. Her daughter Virginia was a widow and Flora had been helping with the grandchildren. She was 87.

That is sad!

 

[Valette Bedford]

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Mrs. Flora Cooke Stuart, the widow of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart, remained in heavy morning for 59 years after the 1864 death of her husband, wearing black until she died in 1923. By contrast, a widower was expected to mourn for only three months, simply by displaying black crepe on his hat or armband.

Women were expected to wear mourning for years but not for a lifetime. I'm sure her late husband, with his zest for living, wouldn't have approved.

I've read she was also an intrepid horsewoman. A good match for Jeb.

These customs persisted for a long time. There is a photo of FDR signing the declaration of war against Japan while wearing a black armband. Many assumed it was a sign of mourning for the Pearl Harbor dead, but in fact he was wearing it for his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, who had died three months before. (He did not dispense with the armband for over a year.)

 

[Northern Light]

Women were expected to wear mourning for years but not for a lifetime. I'm sure her late husband, with his zest for living, wouldn't have approved.

I've read she was also an intrepid horsewoman. A good match for Jeb.

These customs persisted for a long time. There is a photo of FDR signing the declaration of war against Japan while wearing a black armband. Many assumed it was a sign of mourning for the Pearl Harbor dead, but in fact he was wearing it for his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, who had died three months before. (He did not dispense with the armband for over a year.)

Queen Victoria wore black for the rest of her life, as did many other women who mourned for husbands and children. It was not that unusual.

 

[Valette Bedford]

Queen Victoria wore black for the rest of her life, as did many other women who mourned for husbands and children. It was not that unusual.

Women could indeed choose to wear mourning for a lifetime but the prescribed period was about four or five years for a husband. Queen Victoria is indeed a famous -- not to say notorious -- example.

Readers of "Gone with the Wind" will recall the scandal Scarlett creates by abandoning her mourning clothes for her distinctly unmourned first husband several years ahead of schedule.....

 

[Northern Light]

Women could indeed choose to wear mourning for a lifetime but the prescribed period was about four or five years for a husband. Queen Victoria is indeed a famous -- not to say notorious -- example.

Readers of "Gone with the Wind" will recall the scandal Scarlett creates by abandoning her mourning clothes for her distinctly unmourned first husband several years ahead of schedule.....

Scarlett was also 16 or 17 years old. It was not expected that a young woman would stay in mourning too long, and would likely NEED a second husband., as Scarlett surely did.
Because of the life insurance policy that she claimed, Flora was able to stay in mourning for longer than most women in the postbellum South.

 

[K Hale]

That is sad!

No, it isn't. If I were 87, I would sure rather go that way than lingering sick and helpless in bed for God knows how long.