Love Stories for Valentines

Harry Truman first saw the love of his life at Sunday school. He was only six and Bess Wallace was only five. He always remembered that she had golden curls and beautiful blue eyes. They went all the way through high school together but then parted ways after graduation in 1901. Harry moved to Kansas City and Bess moved to Colorado. After nine years they became reacquainted and Harry wrote, “I thought she was the most beautiful and the sweetest person on earth.”  He then began is long courtship.

For over a year, Harry continued to send Bess letters and court her. She was from a wealthy family and had moved into their family home in Missouri. He was a hard working farmer then and lived 20 miles away in the town of Grandview. Finally in 1911, Harry proposed marriage to Bess but she turned him down. He would have dinner at the Wallace home every Sunday. Often he would spend the night at his cousin’s house cross the street because in those days the travel of 20 miles was difficult.

Harry wanted so badly to impress and win Bess’s heart that he entered into numerous business endeavors like mining and drilling for oil. None of them really worked out. Then in 1917 at the onset of World War I, he entered the Missouri National Guard field artillery regiment. He trained in Oklahoma and then was dispatched to France in 1918. Harry won the respect of his military comrades during the Meuse-Argonne offensive at which he displayed great courage and leadership. Through out his assignment he carried a picture of Bess and by now she had fallen in love with him.

In June of 1919, Harry and Bess were married. They resided in the Wallace family home. Then in 1922, Harry entered the world of politics by assumed the job of Jackson County Judge. Bess gave  birth to their daughter, Mary Margaret in 1924. She was the pride and joy on their family. Harry’s political career and life continued to prosper and in 1934 he was elected to the U. S. Senate.