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Notice Numbers appearing in square brackets (ex. [45]) within the transcript indicate the pagination in the original, hardcopy version of the oral history interview. RESTRICTIONS Opened July, 1981
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Oral History Interview with
December 2, 1980 by Niel Johnson JOHNSON: I'm going to start, Miss Vanatta, by asking you for some of your own background. Could you tell us when you were born and where you were born, and your parents' names? VANATTA: I was born near Winterset, Iowa, January 22, 1900. I'm 80 years old. And mother's name was Nora Vanatta; she died in 1949. Dad's name was David Wilmot Vanatta, and he died in '43. I have lived in this house since 1918. Dad built it in 1916 and then mother and dad bought it in 1918, and I've lived here since then. JOHNSON: When did you move from Winterset? Did you move from Winterset to Grandview, or did you… VANATTA: The folks went to Pleasanton, Kansas, when I was just a baby. Then they moved to Fulton, Kansas, after which they moved to Kansas City for a short time and then to Grandview. JOHNSON: What was the year that you moved to Grandview? VANATTA: We moved to Grandview in 1911. JOHNSON: At that time, of course, the Truman family was living out here at their home approximately a mile north of where we are right now. VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: Could you tell us what you and your family did after they moved here to Grandview? VANATTA: We bought a restaurant in 1911. It burned out in 1914; we moved across the street and opened up another restaurant. I went to school here all the time. We sold the restaurant and bought a grocery store in 1923, and then we sold that in 1938. I went to work for Associated Grocers in Kansas City and worked there for 25 years. I went to work there in '38 or '39, and I retired in '64. JOHNSON: So you were in the restaurant business from 1911 to 1923, and then you were in the grocery business from 1923 to 1938. You were eleven years old when you moved here to Grandview. Do you recall the first time that you met the Trumans, any of the Truman family? VANATTA: Not necessarily. I know that Harry Truman came to the restaurant a lot. In those days the restaurant was the loafing place and the place where people gathered. JOHNSON: A "Ma and Pa Cafe," so to speak? VANATTA: Yes, that's right. And he, with all the others, was there. It was during that time that Grandview was incorporated and a lot of the work was done there in the restaurant. JOHNSON: You say that Harry Truman did come to your restaurant? VANATTA: Oh yes, he came to the restaurant quite a lot. Also, of course, he and Uncle Nute Steele were interested in the Masonic Lodge. Mr. Truman was there, at the restaurant, just like any other young man would be, just in and out. JOHNSON: Nute Steele was your uncle, and he was well acquainted with Harry Truman? VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: I guess since we have mentioned it we might as well pursue that; both of them were involved in the… VANATTA: Masonic organization. JOHNSON: In organizing it here in Grandview? VANATTA: Yes. Harry was the first Worshipful Master when they organized, and then Uncle Nute in about a couple of years became the Worshipful Master. Also he and Harry were primarily the ones that organized the Eastern Star; that's the ladies' portion of the Masonic order. JOHNSON: That's something that we don't have too much information on, that is, the early years. VANATTA: Harry was the first Patron and my mother was the first Matron; that's the two head offices in the Eastern Star. JOHNSON: Your mother was well-acquainted with Harry Truman? VANATTA: Oh yes, definitely. Of course, Mary [Truman] was one of the charter members also in the Eastern Star. And she held the office of Worthy Matron of the chapter in the early years. I've been well-acquainted with her, of course, all this time. I went with her a lot to Eastern Star because naturally I went into Eastern Star as soon as I could. I'm one of the oldest members here in the Grandview chapter now. JOHNSON: After you moved to Grandview it was only three years later that John Anderson Truman, that's Harry Truman's father, died. VANATTA: Yes. I never knew him. I don't ever remember him, but I do remember Mrs. Truman very well. JOHNSON: Did your father remember John Anderson Truman? VANATTA: I imagine he would have. JOHNSON: You never heard him talk about him? VANATTA: No. JOHNSON: So probably it wasn't long after you moved here that the Trumans were customers… VANATTA: Yes, they were there, yes. JOHNSON: …of the restaurant. What were your hours up there? VANATTA: Oh, dad opened it up early in the morning and we were there late at night. I don't remember. Of course, we lived right there and we were just there all the time. JOHNSON: Probably 6 or 7 in the morning until 6, 7 at night, I suppose? VANATTA: That's right. JOHNSON: Sure didn't give you much leisure time. VANATTA: Well, you didn't want it. I washed dishes and things like that in the restaurant. Just lived there, that's all. JOHNSON: What was your job? VANATTA: Anything there was to be done. JOHNSON: You were also going to school in the very early years. VANATTA: Yes. I went to school here. I think I was in fourth or fifth grade when we came out here in 1911, and I finished up grade school. Then I was in high school. The first year I was ready to go to high school they organized -- that was the first year they had high school here. I was one of the first graduates out of the four-year high school. I graduated in 1918 and there were just two of us, another girl who is deceased and myself. We were the first two graduates out of the four-year high school, in 1918. JOHNSON: So you were a waitress at times, so to speak. You waited tables, and you probably waited tables for Harry Truman and Vivian and some of the others? VANATTA: Anything. Possibly, yes. JOHNSON: They had a rather large farm out here. I guess that was not typical. VANATTA: No, the farms around here at that time were pretty good-sized. They owned land on both sides of what is 71 Highway now. JOHNSON: Before we get into a more modern period, do you have any recollections from what your parents might have told you, or from other sources, any recollections about Solomon Young or the forebears? VANATTA: No, I don't. No, I really don't. JOHNSON: No stories that you've heard about Solomon Young? VANATTA: No, I really don't. JOHNSON: And the farm house up here -- it still looks the same now as it did back as far as you can remember? VANATTA: That's right, yes. JOHNSON: How about Truman as a farmer. Have you heard anything about how he did as a farmer? VANATTA: I don't remember, but I don't imagine he did too much farming, actual farming. He might have done some, but to be just a regular farmer, he wasn't. JOHNSON: Because he was what? VANATTA: He was too active in other organizations. He was active in politics, I think possibly always. I don't remember. JOHNSON: He was one of the first members of the Farm Bureau here. Do you recall anything about Farm Bureau and his involvement with that or the 4-H Clubs? VANATTA: No, I don't remember anything about that, JOHNSON: I guess he was on the school board at one point. VANATTA: He could have been, I don't remember. He was Postmaster here, I know, for quite some time. JOHNSON: Actually I think Ella Hall did the work and got the pay. VANATTA: And got the pay and he was… JOHNSON: Formally he was Postmaster. And he was road overseer for awhile after his father died. VANATTA: I expect he was. He was in politics, and you know politics in those days. They could do most anything. JOHNSON: Did you ever hear anything about him being an investor in an oil exploration firm? VANATTA: No, I don't believe I ever did. I remember him when he was in that clothing business in Kansas City. JOHNSON: Do you recall any incidents or events at all involving Truman, let's say before that time, before he got into the haberdashery business? VANATTA: I don't remember. JOHNSON: But you do remember they were patrons and did visit your restaurant. Was Saturday night the big night in town? VANATTA: That was the big night, yes. Everybody came to town on Saturday nights. JOHNSON: The Trumans were probably in town on Saturday nights. VANATTA: Well, I'd say Harry and Mary. I doubt very much whether Mr. and Mrs. Truman would, but I'm sure the kids did. JOHNSON: Was that a busy time for the restaurant, then, on Saturday night? VANATTA: It always was, and up until later years it was a busy time in the grocery store, too, because everybody still came to town on Saturday night. JOHNSON: You said that you were well-acquainted with his mother, Martha? VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: Do you recall when you first met Martha Truman? VANATTA: No I don't. I wouldn't have any idea. JOHNSON: Do you recall anything about World War I? I guess there was a parade or some festivity here after the war to honor those who had served. VANATTA: There were some organizations, I'm sure, but I don't remember. Of course, I was just in my teens. I remember the day World War I ended. We all closed our stores and went to Kansas City and celebrated. JOHNSON: I'll bet. Then, Truman comes home from France in the spring or late winter of 1919, and then gets married to Bess Wallace and apparently spent a little bit of time down here. I think he was thinking about farming. Do you recall his coming back to the farm after World War I for a little while? VANATTA: I don't; I don't remember at all. JOHNSON: But you remember him as one of the owners of the haberdashery? VANATTA: Yes, I do that. JOHNSON: What do you remember about that? VANATTA: I remember one time Mary and I went into Kansas City and we went into the store. I remember he took us out to lunch. I was 18 or 19 years old, and that was quite a thrill for me. JOHNSON: Where did you eat, do you remember? VANATTA: I don't remember. I expect it was the Muehlebach or some of those hotels, but I don't remember. We were doing something for Eastern Star, I remember, Mary and I was, and he took us. JOHNSON: When was it that you became a member of Eastern Star? VANATTA: I became a member of the Eastern Star as soon as I was eighteen years old. JOHNSON: Now Mary Jane was already… VANATTA: Yes, she was a charter member. JOHNSON: So he took you out to eat. Did he say anything about business? VANATTA: I don't believe so. JOHNSON: He didn't say that things weren't going very well? VANATTA: No. Of course, you can hear anything. JOHNSON: But you do remember being in the store -- just vaguely I suppose -- being in the store. VANATTA: Yes, just vaguely. JOHNSON: Do you remember any customers being there while you were there? VANATTA: No, I wouldn't remember anything about that at all. JOHNSON: Do you have any mementos from the haberdashery? VANATTA: Not as far as I know. JOHNSON: Was that the only time you were there? VANATTA: As far as I remember it was. JOHNSON: In 1922 he abandoned that business and got into politics. So what was the next time that you encountered Harry Truman? VANATTA: I don't remember. Of course, I went with Mary an awful lot. She became quite active in Eastern Star and I went with her a lot. After he married he didn't come back to Grandview very much. JOHNSON: He was visiting Bess Wallace while he was on the farm. He would go into Independence. VANATTA: She never came out here, as far as I know. JOHNSON: Do you recall anything about the early days of his political career? VANATTA: No, I really don't. JOHNSON: You were getting into the grocery business in 1923, weren't you? VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: And Mary Jane and her mother were still living in the farm house. VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: So they would still come into town? VANATTA: Yes, they came in. JOHNSON: And they patronized your grocery store over the years? VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: Do you recall them ever talking about Harry and his career in politics? VANATTA: Not Mrs. Truman. I never knew Mrs. Truman too well. I didn't go down there very much. Of course, Mary was always very proud of him; I know that. She was quite active in the organizations and things around here that were centered around him too. JOHNSON: Do you recall anything about the problem with the mortgage, the farm mortgage? It was foreclosed in 1940 and bought back for them. Do you remember anything about that? VANATTA: I know it was. No, I don't remember. JOHNSON: How about some of the neighbors of the Trumans: the Arringtons, the Slaughters, Halls -- do you recall any comments they made or stories that they had to say about the Trumans? VANATTA: No. JOHNSON: You did know the Arringtons and the Slaughters? VANATTA: Yes, I knew the Arringtons and the Slaughters. The Slaughters’ old house was right off of 71 Highway; their farm would have adjoined the Trumans. And the Arringtons, they lived out southwest JOHNSON: Did you ever visit the Trumans? Did you go to the farm house for any visits? VANATTA: I have been there with Mary a time or two I know. JOHNSON: How far back would that be? VANATTA: Well, it would be in the early twenties, something like that. JOHNSON: Do you recall anything unusual when you went to their house? VANATTA: Nothing unusual so far as I know. JOHNSON: When they moved into Grandview in 1940, that is his mother, Martha, and Mary Jane, they did bring some of the furniture with them I think. VANATTA: Oh, I think they brought practically all of their furniture with them. JOHNSON: Practically all of their furniture from the farm house as you understand it? VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: Do you remember ever seeing farm equipment out there, any of the farm equipment that was used? VANATTA: No I don't. JOHNSON: In the twenties you were in the grocery business, and Mary and Martha were still living at the farm house. When the road building progam began to take shape in the late twenties, Blue Ridge Boulevard came through the Truman farm. What do you recall about the road program? Was it popular with everybody around here? VANATTA: I really don't remember. I think it was because it gave us easier access to Independence and those places. JOHNSON: And Truman's reputation was very good I suppose. VANATTA: Yes. Of course, it helped them because it went right through their farm, you see. It opened up for them. JOHNSON: Do you remember when Vivian built his house out there? VANATTA: I don't remember what year he built it. JOHNSON: What about any other instances of meeting the Trumans? Did you meet Mr. Truman, Harry Truman, after the twenties at any time? Did you get a chance to meet him first hand? VANATTA: Unless he came to Eastern Star, I don't suppose I did. JOHNSON: I heard that he was at some Eastern Star programs, and played the piano. VANATTA: Yes, I've heard him play the piano. JOHNSON: Do you think he was a pretty good piano player? VANATTA: Well, on one song, yes. But there is one thing I do remember about Truman, on this road building. You see, he wanted a road around Jackson County. JOHNSON: Around the outside, the perimeter of the county? VANATTA: The perimeter around Jackson County. Well, 150 Highway, which goes east -- that is part of the road. Then it went north to Lee’s Summit, and then it went east to the east part of the county. From there it went north. He worked very hard to get that. He wanted a road all the way around. He did do that, and I remember he was working quite hard on that at that time. JOHNSON: Of course, he’s also identified with the Pendergasts at the time. VANATTA: Yes, very much. JOHNSON: Did that bother any of the people out here, any of his old neighbors, that he was being… VANATTA: No, I would say that this was pretty much a Pendergast town; this was pretty much a Democrat town. As a youngster, I can remember if you weren’t a Democrat, you just weren’t anything. JOHNSON: So if you weren’t Democrat when you came, you felt like you probably should convert? VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: I imagine Grandview really didn't change a great deal in the twenties and thirties. Kansas City, of course, was growing and Independence growing slowly but surely. Did Grandview remain pretty much the same? VANATTA: It remained pretty much the same. I drove to work all the time when I was working, and I worked for Associated Grocers, which was at 1933 Troost. Well, I drove all the time from here, and we went down Grandview Road; that was the only road. Now the other highway, 71, was opened up in about '63 I think. JOHNSON: Are you talking about old 71? VANATTA: Old 71. JOHNSON: The one that you drove into Troost on? VANATTA: Yes. I used to drive that twice a day, old 71. JOHNSON: The new 71 -- was that built at the time they built 435, do you know? VANATTA: Built before. I retired in '64, and I know that I got to use the new highway not quite a year before I retired. JOHNSON: We mentioned Harry Truman and the Eastern Star, and his being, what, Grand Patron, did you say? VANATTA: He was Worthy Patron. JOHNSON: This would have been about what years, or year? VANATTA: Well, he and mother were in in 1913 and 1914; that was when he was in office with mother. JOHNSON: We have a photograph here, December 23, 1950, but it shows Mr. Truman, President Truman, with… VANATTA: Here he is. JOHNSON: And, of course, his sister Mary Jane. VANATTA: Let's see; here I am right here. JOHNSON; This is the installation of '51 officers of the Grandview chapter. VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: I suppose you remember that event pretty well, don't you? VANATTA: Yes. Now this one is 1945. This was before he was President. See, there he is, and then Mary's right next to him. JOHNSON: That's a good picture; now what is the date on that? VANATTA: This is '45. This is mother right here. She was always one of the installing officers. If you don't know anything about Masons and Eastern Star, we have installing officers that install the chapter once a year. And they were usually the installing officers. Harry came for years to be here at that time. JOHNSON: So he considered that pretty important didn't he? VANATTA: Yes, yes he did. JOHNSON: This is 1945. Would this have been before or after he was President because he became President in April of that year? VANATTA: That would have been before then, because that usually is in December. JOHNSON: The officers for 1945; so they probably are installed in December the year before. That means he was Vice President when this picture was taken. VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: And he was very accommodating. VANATTA: Very. When my mother passed away in 1949, the first telegram I got, the first letter of condolence that I received was from Harry Truman. Mary called him and he was President; immediately, I had a telegram before noon the next day. JOHNSON: Well, that was pretty nice of him. He was thoughtful. VANATTA: He mentioned mother and dad both in the telegram. JOHNSON: These are the only two pictures that you have of him with the Eastern Star? VANATTA: With him, yes. No, that the only two because I looked to see. JOHNSON: He went to Washington in late ’34 and took the oath in January of 1935 as Senator. Do you remember seeing him after he was Senator? VANATTA: I don't remember whether I do or not. I never did get to Washington, D.C. I wanted to, but I never did have a chance to go when he was there. JOHNSON: But he did come back to Grandview periodically didn't he? VANATTA: Yes, he did, but of course I was working at the time. JOHNSON: When his mother was ill, and he was here for a week or two. VANATTA: Yes, he was here. I saw him then. JOHNSON: Did you get a chance to talk to him at all? VANATTA: Oh, I don't remember too much about it. I really and truly don't. All those things, you can look through there. They are just pictures and things that… JOHNSON: Did you get to talk to him in 1945? Were you at his installation? VANATTA: I was there, yes. I'm sure I did. JOHNSON: I'm taking a look at some of the clippings Miss Vanatta has here, and I see some of these again relate to "Mr. Truman and old friends at Eastern Star party." This is December 30, 1948, in the Jackson County Times published here in Grandview. Here's an article in the Modern Woodman, July 1945. We have a copy of this; it's a good article. VANATTA: Well, I thought perhaps you had. There are some more pictures, I think, at different, odd times that I've taken or have kept. JOHNSON: Yes, we'd like to look at them. In 1951 he came back for the dedication of the church. Were you up there for that? VANATTA: I'm sure I wasn't. I don't go to the Baptist Church. I'm sure I wasn't up there. JOHNSON: During these years you were still close friends with Mary Jane? VANATTA: Oh, yes. I visited Mary a lot and then when she moved out here after her mother died, moved to another house, I visited her a lot. We went quite a few places together as long as she was able to go. JOHNSON: In 1940 after the mortgage was foreclosed on the farmhouse, they moved here to Grandview and I guess Martha Truman, Harry's mother, fell and broke her hip. Do you recall that? VANATTA: No, I don't remember too much about it. I was working in Kansas City and mother was here. Dad died in '43, and mother and I were living here of course. Mother went over to see Mrs. Truman because it's just a couple of blocks from here. But then I don't remember too much else. JOHNSON: Your mother was a fairly close friend of Martha Truman? VANATTA: Well, Mary. JOHNSON: You say you don't remember very much about Martha? VANATTA: Not too much. Mrs. Truman didn't want to be before the public like Mary and Harry did. I would say she was a retiring person, if you know what I mean. JOHNSON: You mean Martha? VANATTA: Yes, the mother. She stayed at home and she… JOHNSON: But I guess when you talked to her, she had opinions. VANATTA: She did. She could voice them alright. Yes, I've heard her say that quite a lot of different times. JOHNSON: Was her personality quite a bit like Harry's, would you say? VANATTA: Possibly so. JOHNSON: Are there any other events that you remember that we haven't talked about in which the Trumans were connected at all? VANATTA: Not especially; I don't remember anything else. JOHNSON: When he became Vice President, and especially when he became President rather suddenly there in April 1945, what was the kind of reactions that you can remember? VANATTA: Oh, everybody was thrilled because we felt like we knew him. It was quite a thrill for Grandview; there is no question about that. I still felt like Grandview never got the recognition that it should have, but then… JOHNSON: They had a local paper here, right? VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: Was this the Jackson… VANATTA: It used to be the Jackson County Times. I don't know when the man down there took it over here -- Jim Turnbaugh. JOHNSON: Was this a daily or a weekly back in the forties? VANATTA: Weekly. JOHNSON: And they undoubtedly did cover Harry Truman to some extent. VANATTA: Oh, sure. I'm sure they would. JOHNSON: Did you have clippings? Did you save any clippings from the Jackson County Times? VANATTA: No, I don't think so. Look under those clippings right there. Those are all just things that I had in a drawer here. You can look through them. JOHNSON: We’ll try to identify these for the record here. VANATTA: Yes, if I can. That's a letter he wrote to me I think. JOHNSON: Okay, this is a letter dated September 16, 1966, to Miss Vanatta. VANATTA: The Eastern Star invited him to be here at the meeting and that's the answer he wrote back. JOHNSON: Okay, then … VANATTA: Oh, that's a resolution of respect. When he passed away we wrote a resolution of respect to send to the family. That is the resolution of respect that Esther Grube and I wrote. She and I were the ones that were selected to write that. JOHNSON: This is a draft of that resolution. That went into your minutes and then a copy went to the family? VANATTA: A copy went to the family. JOHNSON: And then there are some other… VANATTA: There are just pictures there. You more than likely have a lot of them, but if you don't, if you want any of them you can have them. JOHNSON: These clippings here? VANATTA: Yes. You can take them and look through them, and if there is anything… JOHNSON: Okay, and if you want them back, why let me know and I'll give them back to you. VANATTA: You might. JOHNSON: This is the Jackson County Advocate issue of December 28, 1972, which includes an obituary of Mr. Truman; and the Kansas City Star is here for December 26, '72. These are mostly Kansas City Star articles I see. VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: Okay, I'll appreciate having these. VANATTA: I don't suppose I'd ever want them again. but you might bring them back. But those two pictures, the pictures that you have … JOHNSON: I don't think we have these; if we don't we'd like to make a copy. VANATTA: Well, go ahead, go right ahead, that's all right. JOHNSON: I don't think we've got this on the record, but the first restaurant was on the corner of what is now Main Street and… VANATTA: Main Street and 7th. JOHNSON: Then you moved… VANATTA: We moved across the street. Stand up there at that window. Look out that window; see that two-story brick building right there? Well, we moved across the street into that lower part for the restaurant and we slept upstairs. That's where we had our other restaurant. JOHNSON: Okay, then it was across the street from the first restaurant. VANATTA: Yes, and then when we sold that we went to the grocery store right across the street on the north side. The first restaurant was next to the hardware store. JOHNSON: The first restaurant was next to the hardware store and those were both frame buildings and they burned you say in 1914. VANATTA: 1914. JOHNSON: By that time Clements had his hardware store in a brick building next to that frame building that he had started in. So the brick building was all right; it didn’t burn. VANATTA: That’s right. JOHNSON: At that time you moved across the street to this other location? VANATTA: Of course, we lost most everything, you see. I think they got a few things out. But dad opened with a lot of new equipment. JOHNSON: The fire burned up quite a bit of your equipment. Then you went across the street. You ran that restaurant there until 1923? VANATTA: And then went across the street. JOHNSON: And then back across the street again. VANATTA: And that’s the store across the street. That’s been remodeled; that was the store across the street that we moved into. JOHNSON: The grocery store. VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: Now, how long has that building been there, do you know? VANATTA: Oh, there were two buildings there; they were there when we came to Grandview. JOHNSON: Are we back by the hardware store again? VANATTA: No. Do you remember where the barber shop is on Main Street? JOHNSON: I've seen it up there. VANATTA: That's right next to the hardware store, you see. JOHNSON: That's on the north side of Main Street. VANATTA: On the north side, right, and this would be three or four, four or five buildings up this way, east from that. JOHNSON: Four or five buildings east, but still on the north side. Okay. VANATTA: This is a picture taken of Grandview High School; that was our first one. I graduated from high school in this building right across the street. It is a residence now, but that's where I graduated from high school. JOHNSON: That was your first four-year high school? VANATTA: Yes. I had these out because the school was working on a history and I got a lot of these old pictures out for them. JOHNSON: This is your graduating class of … VANATTA: No, there were only two of us in our graduating class; that was the whole high school. JOHNSON: Would there be any Trumans or relatives of Trumans in there? VANATTA: No. None at all, because you see the children were all younger than that. That was in '16 or '17, you see. I don't know where Mary went to high school; I guess if she went she might have gone to Independence. JOHNSON: You stayed friends with Mary Jane right up until she died? VANATTA: Oh yes, right up until she died. JOHNSON: When her mother died in 1947, she moved from that house, across the tracks, so to speak… VANATTA: East of here. JOHNSON: …to a house … VANATTA: Out east. JOHNSON: Do you have any idea why she moved from that house? VANATTA: No, I really and truly don't. I expect she just maybe wanted to get away from the place out there, I don't know. JOHNSON: It was also by the railroad tracks wasn't it? VANATTA: Yes, it was, right by the railroad tracks. JOHNSON: I notice the house is still there, and looks very much like it did then. VANATTA: Looks just like it did, yes. I was down by there the other day. JOHNSON: You visited them when they lived in that house? VANATTA: Oh, yes, I was down there quite a number of times. They were nice -- Mary was just as nice as she could be; she was nice to everybody. Mrs. Truman was nice too, but as you say, she was opinionated. JOHNSON: Do you remember what she had opinions about? VANATTA: She was very positive about what she thought. I don’t remember anything special, no. JOHNSON: Did she ever talk about politics in your presence? VANATTA: I doubt it. I don't know whether she did or not. JOHNSON: It is said that she subscribed to the Conressional Record and read it every day. VANATTA: She could have. JOHNSON: Keeping track on what Congress was doing: but she never talked about politics around you? VANATTA: No so far as I know. JOHNSON: Or commented on Harry’s performance as President? VANATTA: No. JOHNSON: I’m sure she would give him an “A”. VNATTA: Naturally. JOHNSON: Did you ever hear of any of the Trumans questioning any decisions that President Harry made while he was President? VANATTA: No. JOHNSON: If they didn’t agree, at least they didn’t let you know? VANATTA: They didn’t say so. No. JOHNSON: After he came back in 1953, after leaving the White House, he had thought about building the Library in Grandview. Of course, for various reasons that got built in Independence. VANATTA: Yes, in Independence. JOHNSON: Do you recall any talk at the time about a Truman Library here in Grandview? VANATTA: I remember everybody said at that time that Grandview wasn't cooperative enough and didn't put forth the effort, or we could have gotten possibly the Library here. He had some land up here. Well, as I say, there wasn't anybody here that really pushed it, to get it here. JOHNSON: Well, Independence had certain advantages… VANATTA: Surely. Advantages, definitely. JOHNSON: … that Grandview couldn't match. VANATTA: And I expect there was a lot more money involved that was given there than would have been given here in Grandview. JOHNSON: More accessible to researchers, and I suppose tourists too would find it a little more accessible. Any stories or any comments about Mr. Truman especially, about his job as President that we haven’t talked about? Does anything come to mind? VANATTA: I know that everybody, of course, was proud of the fact that we all knew him. And we didn’t think of him as President Truman: we just thought of him as Harry. I think when he came back to Grandview -- and he came back a number of times, and he installed the Masons here a number of times I know -- he was just one of us. JOHNSON: Your mother, did she ever say anything about the Trumans or Mr. Truman that you can recall? VANATTA: No. No, I don’t. JOHNSON: Well, I think perhaps we have reached the conclusion of the interview here and I want to thank Miss Vanatta for taking the time to share some information with the Truman Library. But before I pull the plug, or push the button, is there anything that comes to mind that perhaps we could put down on tape that we have not touched on so far? VANATTA: Well, I don’t believe I know of anything else. I would like to say that I’ve been very proud to have been asked to do this. It’s meant a lot to me because Grandview is my home. JOHNSON: Glad to do it. VANATTA: And I am happy to have been able to do a little bit. JOHNSON: And I think we’re going to be able to preserve the farm house, so we’ll have a good symbol of that history. VANATTA: Oh, that would be wonderful. JOHNSON: Remember the barn burning out here? VANATTA: Yes. JOHNSON: Do you know if anything was salvaged from that barn? VANATTA: No, I don't remember anything about it. JOHNSON: If you ever hear of any artifacts or any objects that have to do with the Truman farm that might become available we'd be glad to hear about it. VANATTA: Well, okay, if you would leave your name and telephone number or something, then if I find anything, I'll be glad to call you. JOHNSON: Okay, I'd be glad to hear from you in case something does turn up that was used on the Truman farm. VANATTA: I'd be glad to do what I can. [Top of the Page | Notices and Restrictions | Interview Transcript | List of Subjects Discussed]
Associated Grocers, Kansas City, Missouri, 3, 24 Farm Bureau, 10 Grandview, Missouri, 2, 3-5, 7, 17, 20, 24, 30, 31, 33, 37-40, 45, 46 Hall, Ella, 11 Independence, Missouri, 45-46 Jackson County Advocate, 36 Kansas City Star, 36 Lee's Summit, Missouri, 23 Masonic Lodge, Grandview, Missouri, 4 Order of the Eastern Star, 5-6, 15, 16, 22, 25-28, 30, 35 Pendergast Machine, Kansas City, Missouri, 23 Steele, Nute, 4-5 Truman, Harry S.:
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