In a shocking event that stirred widespread outrage and led to legal reforms, a 22-year-old farmer, Charlie Johns, married a nine-year-old girl named Eunice Winstead in rural Tennessee on January 19, 1937. The marriage, conducted by Baptist preacher Walter Lamb, was technically permitted under the state law at that time, which did not specify a minimum age for marriage.
Johns paid a dollar to Lamb for the ceremony, while Winstead deceived her parents by claiming she was going to buy a doll. Despite Johns misrepresenting his bride’s age to obtain a marriage license, the community later discovered the truth that she was just nine years old. Surprisingly, Winstead’s mother, Martha Winstead, eventually approved of the marriage due to Johns owning property and being a respected farmer with substantial land and livestock.
The controversial marriage attracted national attention when it was reported by various media outlets like Life and Time magazines, sparking public outcry. This incident became a focal point for advocates of reform against child marriage in the United States. In response to the public backlash, Tennessee swiftly enacted a law later in 1937 setting the minimum marriage age at 16, with a required waiting period for girls under 18. Despite the controversy, Charlie and Eunice remained married for many years.
Eunice briefly attended elementary school in the summer of 1937 but discontinued due to disciplinary issues. The couple resided with Johns’ parents in Sneedville for several years. In December 1942, Eunice gave birth to their first child at the age of 14, and they went on to have a total of nine children together. Remarkably, when their daughter Evelyn married at 17, Johns expressed anger, claiming her age had been falsified for the marriage license.
Despite the initial shock and controversy surrounding their marriage, Charlie and Eunice stayed together for over six decades until Charlie’s passing in February 1997 and Eunice’s in August 2006.