I’ve been a student of state government for over fifty years, and truly believe Warren Hearnes was the best Governor Missouri has ever had. Warren was a West Point graduate, Lieutenant in the Infantry, State Representative, Speaker of the House, and Secretary of State before becoming Governor. He got the constitution amended so a Governor could serve two terms, and he was the first to do so.
One reason he was so popular was because of his family. His wife Betty had a fabulous voice, sang in the church choir, and was always asked to sing the National Anthem at different events. They had three daughters, Lynn, Leigh, and Julie B.
I became friends with Warren when he was Secretary of State and met with him several times during his first campaign for Governor in 1964. After he was elected, he appointed me one of his many “honorary Colonels” on his staff. Consequently, I had several occasions to be in the Governor’s Mansion when he first took office, and it was a disaster. Governor Blair said it was rat-infested and refused to live in it. The legislature at one time discussed tearing it down.
A few years ago, Betty wrote a book and told about renovating the Mansion and opening it up to the public. She also told how her three daughters struggled to lead a normal life since they lived in the Mansion, and their father was Governor. Leigh would have their chauffeur let her out a couple of blocks before they got to school, so the other kids wouldn’t see her being driven to school in a black limousine. When Julie B.’s first grade class toured the Mansion, she blended in with the other students and when they lined up to thank the First Lady for showing them the Mansion, she said to her mother, “Thank you for showing us your house.”
Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com
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