Oral History Interviews with Mary Ethel Noland
		First cousin of Harry S. Truman
		Interview Transcripts August 23, 1965 | September 9, 1965 | September 16, 1965 James R. Fuchs See also Mary Ethel Noland Papers finding aid [Notices and Restrictions | List of Subjects Discussed]
NOTICE These are transcripts of tape-recorded interviews conducted for the Harry S. Truman Library. A draft of each transcript was edited by the interviewee but only minor emendations were made; therefore, the reader should remember that these are essentially transcripts of the spoken, rather than the written word. Numbers appearing in square brackets (ex. [45]) within the transcript indicate the pagination in the original, hardcopy version of the oral history interview RESTRICTIONS These oral history transcripts may be read, quoted from, cited, and reproduced for purposes of research. They may not be published in full except by permission of the Harry S. Truman Library. List of Subjects Discussed A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X-Y-Z Acheson, Dean, 191 Anti-Tobacco Society, 209 Battery B, Missouri National Guard, 113 Blair House, 191 Blitz, Mr., 55 Blitz house, 81 Broadus family, 93 Bryant, Paul, 78 Burrus, Florence, 159 Capelle, Charles, 169 Chicago Tribune, 202 Christian Brothers College, Alton, IL, 31 Civil War, 29-30 Civil War, Platte County, MO, 151-157 Clark, Bennett C., 132, 134, 181-182, 183 Clayton, Dr. James, 6 Clayton, Mrs. James (Catherine Holmes Clayton), 6 Clemens, Frances, 148 Clinton Drugstore, Independence, MO, 109 Clinton, MO, 75 Colgan, Fred, 95 Colgan, Rochester C., 94 Colgan, Mrs. Rochester C. (Emily Truman Colgan), 94 Columbian School, Independence, MO, 59, 60-62, 208 Condon, Mr., 94 Coomber, Mabel, 93 Coxey's Army, 45-46 Daniels, Jonathan, 138 Davies, Joseph P., 192, 194 Davies, Mrs. Joseph P. (Marjorie Post Davies), 192, 194 Dodds, Isabel, 59 Duvall, Mareen, 173 Ewing, Myra, 59 First Baptist Church, Grandview, MO, 175 First Baptist Church, Independence, MO, 148, 174 Ford, Lewis, 5, 9, 20 Ford, Mrs. Lewis (Martha Holmes Ford), 5, 9, 20 Forest Hill Cemetery, 85, 211 Gates, Frank, 147-148 Gates, Walter, 147 Grandview, MO, 31, 70, 83, 101, 205 Gray, Mr. and Mrs., 54 Green, Edwin, 94, 95 Harry S. Truman Library, 203-204 Hayes, Upton, 29 Henderson, Mr., 99 Hinde, Mary, 197-198 Hinkle, Charles, 154, 156 Holmes, Jesse, 4, 9 Holmes, Mrs. Jesse (Nancy Tyler Holmes), 4-5, 7-8, 152, 153-154, 155, 156 Holmes, Robert, 5 Holmes, Silas, 5 Houchens, B. M., 78 Houchens, Fielding, 78 Houchens, Manley, 147 Independence, MO, 25-26, 40-76, 77-145, 146-175 Jackson County, MO, 19-20 Jackson County (MO.) road construction program, 139-140 Jacobson, Edward (Eddie), 121-122, 128 Kaltenborn, H. V., 202 Kemper, George, 35-38 Ku Klux Klan, 141-142 Lykins farm, 1, 10 Marks. Ted, 115 Masonic order, 144-145 McCarroll family, 78 McCoy, Christiana Polk, 4 McCoy, Isaac, 4 Milligan, Jacob L., (Tuck), 132-133, 134, 181-182, 183 Milligan, Maurice M., 181, 182 Mitchell, Mrs. R. B., 208, 210 Nebgen, Louis, 201 Noland, Ellen (Nellie), 27, 39, 70-71, 147 Noland, Francis M., 28, 29 Noland, Hinton, 57 Noland, James, 28 Noland, Joseph T., 37-39, 211 depression, loses money in 1890’s, 43-45, 46 Independence, homes in, 41-44 Independence, moves to, 40 Noland, Mrs. Joseph T. (Margaret Ellen Truman Noland), 1, 11, 25, 36-38, 165, 176, 211 Noland, Mary Ethel, 39 Davies, Mr. and Mrs. J. P., attends inaugural reception of, 1949, 192-194 and election day returns, presidential election 1948, 199-202 presidential inauguration, 1949, attends, 191-192 Truman family genealogy, responsibility for keeping records of, 186-190 Truman, Harry S., close relationship with in Independence, MO, 68-72 Truman, Harry S., correspondence with re Truman family genealogy, 186-190 Truman, Harry S., first recollections of as a child, 46-48 Truman, Harry S., recollection of “opera hat” worn by at Houchens wedding, Independence, MO, 146-150 Truman, Harry S., relationship to, 1 Noland, Smallwood, 25 Noland, Mrs. Smallwood (Nancy MacMonegal Noland), 25 Noland, Susan, 40-41 Noland, Wesley, 27, 28 Noland family genealogy, 1-7, 11-13 Ott School, Independence, MO, 60, 61, 63 Pendergast, Thomas J. (Tom), 136, 179, 182 Pendergast political organization, Kansas City, MO, 131, 135-136 Pittman, Bernard, 78 Pittman family, 68 Pittman house, 78 Prairie Point Academy, 11 Presbyterian Church, Independence, MO, 174 Presbyterian College, Independence, MO, 40, 44 Presidential election, 1948, 199-202 Presidential inauguration, 1949, 191-192 Presidential papers, 202 Public Library, Independence, MO, 170-172 Ragland, Mrs. Robert V. (Ruth Truman Noland Ragland), 39, 211, 212 Romine, Mrs. Mary Colgan, 116-117 Roosevelt, Franklin D., 184-186 Ross, Charles G., 192 Salisbury, Spencer, 137-138 Scrivner, Joseph, 33 Scrivner, Morgan, 34 Scrivner, Sarah Ann, 33 Senatorial campaign, Missouri, 1934, 130-135, 180-182 Sermon, Roger T., 168 Sermon, William, 169 Shubert Theatre, Kansas City, MO, 99 Slover Park, Independence, MO, 204 Smith Construction Company, Kansas City, MO, 89 Stoll, Caroline, 60, 209 Strode farm, 124 Sutton, Almirinda Truman, 188 Trinity Episcopal Church, Independence, MO, 115 Truman, Armstead, 188 Truman, Anderson Shipp, 2-4, 8, 21-23, 25, 38, 164-165, 211 Truman, Mrs. Anderson Shipp (Mary Jane Holmes Truman), 2-10, 21-22, 25, 38, 153-155, 166 Truman, Earl, 53 Truman, Emily, 11 Truman, Grace, 53 Truman, Harry S.: affectations, as a person without, 104 automobile, first, 85-87, 104 Battery B, Missouri National Guard, member of, 113 boarding house resident, 1314 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO, 97-98 and the "cakeplate incident”, 102-103 as a card player, 99 as a child, 46-48 church attendance during youth, 174-175 Clinton Drugstore, Independence, MO, employment at, 109 Clark, Bennett C., relationship with, 181-182 Colgan, Rochester C., lives with family of, 94-98 diptheria, ill with as child, 56-57 Eastern Judge, Jackson County, MO, candidate for, 129-131 eyeglasses, wears as a boy, 63-64, 79 as a farmer, 109-112, 117, 126-127 fencing, interest in as a boy, 71 First Baptist Church, Grandview, MO, member of, 175 French, people, dislike of in World War I, 172-173 friends, boyhood, 77-78 and the Harry S. Truman Library, 203-204 health as a child, 56-57, 63-64 horses, use of during boyhood, 82-83 Independence, MO, parents move to, 1890, 54-55 and the Jackson County (MO) road construction program, 139-140 Jacobson Eddie, partnership with in haberdashery, Kansas City, MO, 121, 127 Kansas City, MO, moves to, 93-94 leg, breaks on family farm, Grandview, MO, 101 loyalty to friends, 136 Masonic emblem left to him by grandfather, 23 and the Masonic order, 144-145 mildness of manner as a youth, 133 music, as a student of, 158-161 Noland, (Mary) Ethel, close relationship with, 68-72 Noland, (Mary) Ethel, correspondence with re: Truman family genealogy, 186-188 Noland (Mary) Ethel, relationship to, 1-2 and “opera hat” incident at Manley Houchens wedding, Independence, MO, 146-150 as a peacemaker during boyhood, 71, 80 Pendergast , Thomas J. (Tom), loyalty to, 136 as a piano player, 158-161 political career approved of by his wife, 142-143 political defeats, attitude toward, 136 and presidential election, 199-202 presidential papers, interest in preserving, 203 public school, Independence, MO, as a student in, 57-59, 60-66 reading, interest in, 171-172 relatives, visits to as a young man, 89-91 retentive memory, statements concerning his, 189-190 school, late start in, 58, 64-66 Senate, U.S., candidate for, 1934, 131-134 Shubert Theatre, Kansas City, MO, usher at, 99 Smith Construction Company, timekeeper for, 89, 91 sports, participation in as a boy, 78-79 theatre, interest in as a young man, 99, 100-101 tobacco, promise not to use, 209 Truman, Anderson Shipp, close relationship with, 22-23 Truman, Vivian, close relationship with, 195 Truman, Vivian, family, visits in Bates County, 125 and vice-presidential nomination, 1944, Democratic, 176-177 Wallace, Bess, as childhood sweetheart of, 73 Wallace, Bess, courtship of, 83-88 Wallace, Bess, engagement to, 113 Wallace, Bess, in grade school with, 61 Wallace, Bess, renews acquaintance with, 103 Wallace, Bess, studies Latin at Noland house with, 70-71 Wallace, Mrs. David W., relationship with, 103-105, 118-119 Wedding, 115-117 West Waldo Street, Independence, MO, parents move to, 68 Wife’s home, moves into after marriage, 118-119 Truman, Mrs. Harry S. (Bess Wallace Truman), 59, 83-85 as childhood sweetheart of Harry S. Truman, 73 Latin, studies with Harry S. Truman and Ellen (Nell) Noland, 70-71 political career, approved of husband's, 142-143 popularity with young men as a girl, 105-106 Roosevelt, Franklin D., comments concerning health of, 184-186 Truman, Harry S., engagement to, 113 Wedding, 115-117 Truman, John A., 1, 46, 53 Civil War, Platte County, MO, experiences during, 151-154 Crysler Ave., Independence, MO., house on, 54-56 death of, 85 as a farmer, 74-75 horses owned by, 82-83 Independence, MO, moves to, 52, 54-55 Liberty Street, Independence, MO, home on, 92-93 marriage, 1881, 21 Noland, Mrs. Joseph T. (Margaret Ellen Truman) close relationship with as a child, 13-15 personality of, 166-167 Platte County, MO, moves to, 12 Solomon Young farm, returns to in 1905, 109-111 as a stock raiser, 81 Truman, Anderson Shipp, closeness to noted, 164-165 Truman, Mrs. John A. (Martha Ellen Young Truman), 21, 46, 69-70, 158, 205 Truman, John T., 13 Truman, Louella Campbell, 32 Truman, Margaret, 178 Truman, Margaret Ellen, 11 Truman, Martha, 11, 21 Truman, Mary Jane, 47, 48, 93, 124, 161, 174, 206 Truman, Ralph E., 53-54, 91, 134, 183-184 Truman, Richard, 18 Truman, Vivian, 46, 47, 80, 123, 124-125, 175, 195-196, 197-198, 206-208, 209 Truman, William T., 11, 12, 20, 39, 53, 91, 154 Truman Corners, 31 Truman family genealogy, 16-19, 186-190 Truman and Jacobson, haberdashery, 121-122, 127-128 Twyman, Elmer, 56 Twyman, Dr. G.T., 56 Van Clooster, Ada, 90 Vice-presidential nomination, 1944 Democratic, 176, 182-184 Vinson, Fred M., 192 Wallace, Mrs. David W. (Madge Gates Wallace), 103-104, 105 Wallace, Frank, 147-148 Wallace, Helen, 116 Weatherford, Robert P., Jr., 204 Wells, Louise, 116 White, Mrs. E.C., 159, 160-161 Woodland College, Independence, MO, 40, 72 Woodlawn Cemetery, Independence, MO, 211 Wornall, John, 6 Wright, James, 99 Yantis, John L., 130 Yantis-Fritts Drugstore, Independence, MO, 129 Young, Brigham, 163-164 Young, Harrison, 30-31, 52, 69, 73, 207 Young, Solomon, 48-51, 66-67, 73, 162-164, 210-211 Young, Mrs. Solomon (Harriet Louisa Gregg Young), 48, 69, 110-111, 161, 162, 210-211 Young, Solomon, farm, 48-50, 73-74 Young, William, 52-53 [Top of the Page | Notices and Restrictions | List of Subjects Discussed] For questions, e-mail truman.reference@nara.gov Return to Truman Library Oral History Finding Aid Return to Archival Reference at the Truman Library

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