Michigander salutes his father, who fought during the Civil War

[Bozita]

video at link:
http://www.freep.com/article/20110530/NEWS06/105300320/Michigander-salutes-his-father-Civil-War-soldier


Michigander salutes
his father, who
fought during the
Civil War

BY ZLATI MEYER

DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

1:01 AM, May. 30, 2011|

Fewer than 20 are alive today, and Harold
Becker is among them.

The 93-year-old retired chemist and
engineer from western Michigan is known
as a true son -- a man whose father fought
in the Civil War in the Union Army.

Becker's father, Charles Conrad Becker,
lied about his age in 1864 to enlist at 17.
He was 70 when Harold, his youngest
child, was born. He lived to be 87, leaving
his son with plenty of stories and
memories.

An official proclamation recognizing Charles
Becker's wartime service, issued by the
national association Sons of Union Veterans
of the Civil War, hangs above a large color
TV in Harold Becker's home in Rockford.

more...

[ET Awful]

1. He was 70 when his youngest child was born?????

How old was the poor mother?

[Orrex]

2. And how old was the poor child?!?

Boggles the mind!

[Drale]

3. The last civil war widow died a few years ago

She was like 15 when she married him and he was like 70 or something like that.

[brewens]

4. She was still collecting a civil war pension in 2004. n/t

[sarge43]

6. Like Europe after WWI, young women didn't have a lot of choices

Far too many young men had died in the war or had been too badly wounded to consider marriage, especially so in the South.

[indepat]

12. My maternal grandmother, who died in 1977 at 85, had two half-brothers who had fought and died in

Civil War, one for the North, one for the South. Her father, who was in his early 70s when she was born, died in 1905 at 85. Amazing how sometimes a couple generations span more than 150 year. ;)

[MineralMan]

5. Somewhat younger, I assume.

It's fascinating that there are still the direct offspring of Civil War soldiers still alive. Naturally, the circumstances will be a little unusual. Lots of unusual things happen, like 70 year old men impregnating much younger women.

[Motown_Johnny]

7. sorry, I'm not buying it. I bet his wife cheated on the 69 year old man

and that this guy isn't his natural son.

He was raised as the old guy's son, and that does count for something. The memories and stories still have value, but I am not buying that the 69 year old man fathered him.

[hlthe2b]

8. Fathered very late in life children: Hugh Hefner, Tony Randall, Yassir Arafat, Warren Beatty

Hugh Hefner, 74, had a couple of late-life offspring (no, not those twins-his own kids). Yassir Arafat, fathered a child at 71, Warren Beatty, at 63with wife Annette Benning. The grand-prize goes to Saul Bellow, distinguished man of letters, who put down his quill long enough to father a child at age 84. Tony Randall, beloved actor was a doting new dad at the age of 79.

[Shagbark Hickory]

13. Larry Fartsalot King

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. Having children at 70 is NOT a stretch in any way, shape, or form.

Men keep producing healthy sperm for the entirety of their natural lives.

[RevStPatrick]

10. Why not?

That's not terribly unusual. Certainly not out of the question. I've known two men who've fathered children in their 70's, with much younger women.

[LaurenG]

11. why not? men can father children until they die and really

if they freeze it, well I'm not sure it ever expires.