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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Harry S. Truman, Jeffrey Lundgren, Phog Allen, Bess Truman, Paul Henning, Tava Smiley, Charles Griffith Ross. Excerpt:Bess Truman Elizabeth Virginia Wallace Truman (February 13, 1885 October 18, 1982), widely known as Bess Truman , was the wife of Harry S. Truman and First Lady of the United States from 1945 to 1953. Early life Elizabeth Virginia Wallace was born to David Willock Wallace (1860-1903) and his wife the former Margaret Elizabeth Gates (1862-1952) in Independence, Missouri and was known as Bessie during her childhood. She was the eldest of four; three brothers: Frank Gates Wallace, (4 March 1887 - 12 August 1960), George Porterfield Wallace, (1 May 1892 - 24 May 1963), David Frederick Wallace, (7 January 1900 - 30 September 1957). Harry Truman, whose family moved to town in 1890, always kept his first impression of when he saw her at Sunday school: "Golden curls" and "the most beautiful blue eyes." A relative said, "there never was but one girl in the world" for him. They attended the same schools from fifth grade through high school. After graduating from William Chrisman High School (then known as Independence High School) she studied at Miss Barstow's Finishing School for Girls in Kansas City, Missouri . In 1903 her father committed suicide and she returned to Independence to be with her mother. Marriage and family The First World War altered the Trumans' steady courtship. Lieutenant Truman proposed and they were engaged before he left for France in 1918. They were married on June 28, 1919 and lived in her mother's home. They had one daughter, Margaret Truman , born February 17, 1924. As Harry Truman became active in politics Bess Truman traveled with him, sharing his platform appearances as the public had come to expect of a candidate's wife. His election to th... ... Read more