This book would never have been completed without the assistance of the staff of the Truman Library, who helped me organize Bess Wallace Truman’s voluminous papers. I would like to thank the library’s director, Benedict K. Zobrist, archivist Harry Clark and Elizabeth Safly, the research librarian, whose skill at discovering (or confirming) facts both large and small on all aspects of the Trumans is phenomenal. I would also like to thank various friends and relatives who shared with me their memories of Mother, especially Drucie Snyder Horton and her father, former Secretary of the Treasury John Snyder, Reathel Odum, and Mary Shaw Branton. At least as important was my aunt, May Southern Wallace, whose recollections reach back to the early years of the century, Rufus Burrus, whose memories are almost as extensive, and Sue Gentry, who covered the Trumans in Independence for the Independence Examiner. Teresa F. Matchette of the National Archives made some very important discoveries on my behalf. Also helpful were Peter Calhoun, son of Mother’s old friend Arry Calhoun, Michael S. Churchman, headmaster of the Barstow School, Richard S. Brownlee and Debra Duffen of the State Historical Society of Missouri, and Ron Cockrell, Research Historian of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Finally, I must thank Thomas Fleming, who assisted me in my biography of my father, Harry S. Truman. Mr. Fleming’s research skills and literary advice have again proven invaluable.