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ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & BRANSON

Nina and Ross Mitchell

We added another Presidential Library to our list.  This time we were able to see the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library in Abilene, KS.  So far we have visited Reagan’s Library in Simi Valley, CA; Nixon’s Library in Yorba Linda, CA; Hoover’s in West Branch, IA; Kennedy’s in Boston; FDR’s in Hyde Park, NY; Truman’s in Independence, MO;  Carter’s in Atlanta, GA. & Hayes in Fremont, OH.  We have these yet to see:  LBJ in Austin, TX; Ford in Grand Rapids, MI; & George HW Bush at College Station, TX.

So far I would say the Eisenhower Library has been the best. It was so complete with a tour of the home that Ike & his 5 brothers grew up in, many items from his military career, his political career, his time as President of Columbia University, and life in the 50’s.  Also there is a very nice chapel which is the final resting place of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Mamie Eisenhower, and their first-born son, Doud Dwight Eisenhower.  An 11 ft. statue of Ike outside in the center of the complex is also very impressive. 

There was a lot of personal info about his 5 brothers, all of whom were successful in different vocations.  In order to get an education Ike went to West Point; his 1^st choice had been Annapolis but he was too old.  Eventually he married Mamie Doud from Denver, CO; had 2 sons (Doud & John), had a military career as a 5 star general, became President of Columbia and eventually through politics became President of the US.

“Ike” developed a good work ethic, & was interested in sports, i.e., baseball & football.  Their mother rotated all of the chores so he even learned to be a good cook and gardener.   

Ike was proud of his family & origin in KS & returned many times to visit.  However, when it came time for him to retire, he & Mamie settled on a farm in Gettysburg, PA, not too far from where his paternal grandfather had started out. 

Eisenhower was multi-talented.  He was an author of several books.  I read AT EASE which was excellent.  It is subtitled:  Stories I like to tell my friends & it has a lot of personal anecdotes from all through his life as well as historical events that were a part of his life.    He also became an artist at the suggestion of Churchill.  He painted many portraits that included Washington & Lincoln that are quite good.  His landscapes aren’t quite as good since the perspective is sometimes a little off. 

The WWII military equipment was very informative with Jeeps, guns, tanks, an armored - Cadillac in olive drab green for Eisenhower & air force equipment of the era.  One section of the Library was dedicated to Mamie & had a lot of her jewelry, audios about her life, and gifts to the Eisenhowers from all over the world. 

At Branson, MO we saw 3 shows: The Haygoods, Tony Roi an Elvis impersonator & the Presleys.  They were all good shows but the Presleys were the best.  They had all kinds of musical instruments, sang gospel, played banjo & fiddle & had comedy which would appeal to young & old alike.