Local Business People
Petey Childers Childers, A. Layle "Petey" Petey Childers owned and operated a pharmacy in Independence, Missouri for approximately fifty-five years. As a pharmacist, he served the Trumans, Dr. Charles Allen, and many other notable Independence residents with ties to the Trumans. 
Sue Gentry Gentry, Sue Sue Gentry, a newspaper reporter from Independence, Missouri, has written for the Independence Examiner since 1929. Miss Gentry served as a local liaison for national reporters during the Truman presidency. Interview 12-9-1985 (pdf - 165KB) 
Hazel Graham Graham, Hazel Hazel Graham served as the executive director of the Jackson County Historical Society in Independence, Missouri. Graham recalls the support given by the Trumans to the historical organization and other movements in Independence and throughout the Kansas City area to preserve historical structures. Interview Not Transcribed 
Rev. Robert Hart Hart, Reverend Robert L. The Reverend Robert L. Hart served as the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Independence, Missouri from 1977-1983. In this position, he served as pastor to Bess W. Truman, attending to her in her home, and then performed her funeral service after her death. Interview (pdf - 1.26MB) 
Rev. Patric Hutton Hutton, Rev. Patric The Reverend Patric Hutton served as rector of Trinity Episcopal Church from 1955 to 1960. As a result he performed the wedding ceremony of Margaret Truman and E. Clifton Daniel in April 1956. Interview (pdf - 159KB) 
Maxine LaRoe LaRoe, Maxine E. Maxine LaRoe, librarian at the Independence branch of Mid-Continent Public Library, often assisted Bess W. Truman during her frequent visits to the library. LaRoe discusses the books chosen by Mrs. Truman and remembers Mike Westwood's presence in the library. 
Doris Miller Miller, Doris Doris Miller was Bess Truman's beautician from 1953 until 1982. She discusses the development of her beauty shop and her husband's barber shop, where Harry Truman had his weekly trims. Interview (pdf - 911KB) 
Rev. David Patrick Patrick, Rev. David C. The Reverend David C. Patrick served as rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Independence, Missouri for four years (1951-1955). During that period he was the pastor for Bess W. Truman, Margaret Truman, and Madge Gates Wallace, who died in 1952. Interview (pdf - 221KB) 
Bo Pike Pike, Bo On May 27, 1955, Margaret Truman hosted Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person and interviewed her parents, former President and Mrs. Harry Truman while they sat in the comfort of their Independence, Missouri home. Bo Pike was then a technician for Kansas City's CBS affiliate and provided technical support for the broadcast. Interview Not Transcribed 
No Image Available Sermon, Roger T. Jr. Roger Sermon, Jr. co-owner of Sermon-Anderson, Inc., provided window treatments for the Truman Home. In the first half of this hour-long interview, Sermon walks through the Truman Home's first and second floors while discussing curtains, draperies, and shades. Interview (pdf - 445KB) 
Sol Stolowy Stolowy, Sol Sol Stolowy a Kansas City tailor, made several suits for Harry S Truman from the time Truman was president until his death. Truman was buried in a summer suit made by Stolowy shortly before Truman's death. Interview (pdf - 145KB) |
Did You Know?
From age six on, Harry was always interested in Bess. He later wrote her, “I have never met a girl in my life that you were not the first to be compared with her, to see wherein she was lacking and she always was.”