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Alice Cary Risley

1847 – 1939

American nurse

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About Alice Cary Risley

Lived 1847 – 1939 (aged 91–92). Alice Cary Risley was a nurse.

Alice Cary Risley (November 1, 1847 – 1939) of Columbia, Missouri, was a nurse during the American Civil War. She was the last surviving member of the National Association of Civil War Nurses. Her mother, Phoebe Farmer, was a cousin of Alice and Phoebe Cary.

Biography Born Alice Cary Farmer on November 1, 1847, in Wilmington, Ohio. Her father, Franklin Farmer, had been forced to leave their family home in New Iberia, Louisiana when the war broke out due to their politics.

Her father joined the Union Army and the family moved to New Orleans, following the underground railroad. She began service as a nurse in New Orleans at about the age of 15.

In 1874, in St. Louis, Missouri, Alice married Samuel A. Risley, a former Union soldier whom she had nursed. He founded the Southern Missouri Journal. Later Risley and her husband served together as postmaster and postmistress of Howell County, Missouri.

Risley was the last surviving member of the National Association of Civil War Nurses, which dissolved on her death.

She is mentioned in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat of July 27, 1930. She was president of the National Association of Army Nurses of the Civil War. She died in 1939 at the home of her son, Guy, in Alexandria, Louisiana.

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Important facts

Birth century
Died
1939, Alexandria
Occupation

People in Alice Cary Risley's life

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Frequently asked questions

Who was Alice Cary Risley?

American nurse

When was Alice Cary Risley born?

Alice Cary Risley was born on 1 November 1847 in Wilmington.

When did Alice Cary Risley die?

Alice Cary Risley died in 1939 in Alexandria.

What was Alice Cary Risley's occupation?

Alice Cary Risley was a nurse.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Alice Cary Risley

· Wikidata: Q27927776

· DBpedia: Alice Cary Risley

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Alice Cary Risley. https://biography.guide/alice-cary-risley/

MLA: "Alice Cary Risley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/alice-cary-risley/.

Chicago: "Alice Cary Risley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/alice-cary-risley/.

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