‘Elopement certificate’ gives soldier’s widow legal status of wife

A deceased soldier’s second wife may finally receive the family pension she has been denied for over a year, thanks to an authorized “elopement certificate” that proves the soldier’s first wife deserted him before he could divorce her. The Army records still mention the long-estranged first wife as the legal heir, but the certificate will help recognize the second wife as the legal spouse. The certificate has been sent to the Army’s pension office for processing.