A Widow's Quest

The widows of Civil War veterans were eligible to claim pensions. Lucy Flower filed such a claim after Consider's death. That both she and her husband had married and divorced prior to their marriage complicated that application. Lucy was able to provide proof of her divorce, but obtaining records of Consider's divorce proved more difficult.

Lucy Flowers turned for help to C. H. Lyman, a colonel in the US Marines stationed at the Army War College. Lyman had met the Flowers when he was stationed in Sitka in 1911-1912, when Consider was postmaster. He considered them "a fine old couple," and was distressed that Lucy was suffering for lack of the pension to whch he was certain she was entitled.

Lucy did not know where in Utah Consider's first wife had obtained her divorce, so Lyman wrote to each county clerk inquiring if they had records of the divorce. When Lyman was posted to China, he convinced the Pension Bureau to takeover that search. In July 1927, the Beaver county clerk replied they had found the record. Lucy Flowers received her pension in November 1927.

Lucy Flower lived another three years in Lynn Haven, dying on June 15, 1930, at the age of 85 years. She too is buried in the Lynn Haven cemtery.