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Taken at a studio in Denver, Colorado, Mary Ann Arroyo was about 16 years old and the wife of U.S. Army Private Tony Arroyo, who was away, fighting in the South Pacific. Already a mother in this picture, Mary Ann and Tony married when she was 13 and he was 16. World War II separated the couple for five years, giving them each time to grow up. View full size.
Tony and Mary Ann remained married for 50 years, until her death and raised 11 children.
The age at which a girl could marry at varied from state to state. Today most states have a set age of 18 without parental consent. In most states today minors as young as 15 can marry with parental consent and even younger with parental consent and the permission of a judge. Even today, in the state of New Hampshire a 13 year old girl can be married with the written permission of her parents and a waiver, and the minimum age in South Carolina with parental permission is 14 for a girl (16 for a boy). 14 year-olds can get married in Texas with parental permission. It's just my guess but it's likely that in some places at least the legal age for marriage with or without consent was lower than it is today.
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