A marriage that shocked a nation and spurred legislative changes to prevent its recurrence was that of a 22-year-old farmer named Charlie Johns to a nine-year-old girl named Eunice Winstead. The controversial union took place on January 19, 1937, in rural Tennessee, officiated by Baptist preacher Walter Lamb. Despite widespread condemnation, the marriage was technically legal as state laws at the time did not specify a minimum age requirement for marriage.
To carry out the wedding, Johns paid Lamb a dollar, and Winstead deceived her parents by claiming she was going to buy a doll. Johns misrepresented his young bride’s age to obtain a marriage license, though it later became public knowledge that she was only nine years old. Records revealed that Winstead’s mother had also married young, at the age of 16, and a sister had married at 13.
Despite initial disapproval, Winstead’s mother eventually gave her approval because Johns was a property owner and considered a respectable farmer with significant land and livestock. She justified her support by citing biblical principles and the belief that if the couple loved each other, marriage was the right choice.
In response to the outrage sparked by the news coverage, Tennessee swiftly enacted a law later in 1937 establishing the minimum marriage age at 16, with a waiting period mandated for girls under 18. Despite the controversy, Johns and Winstead remained married for many years.
After the story gained national attention in magazines like Life and Time, there was a strong public outcry. Women’s clubs in various states, including Minnesota, called for reforms, using Winstead’s case as a symbol of the widespread issue of child marriage in the United States.
In the summer of 1937, Eunice briefly attended elementary school but discontinued her studies due to disciplinary problems after a few days. The couple resided with Johns’ parents in Sneedville for several years. In December 1942, at the age of 14, Eunice gave birth to their first child, and they went on to have eight more children together.
Despite facing criticism for their own marriage, Johns expressed anger when their 17-year-old daughter Evelyn wed a 20-year-old man, alleging that her age had been misrepresented to obtain a marriage license. The couple defied societal norms by staying married for over six decades until Johns passed away in February 1997, followed by Eunice in August 2006.
