This woman, whose husband was the President of the United States, died in 1982 at the age of 97 years old. What was her name?

Elizabeth Virginia Wallace Truman, better known as Bess, was the First Lady of the United States from 1945 to 1953 as the wife of President Harry S. Truman. Born in 1885, she lived to the age of 97, passing away in 1982. To this day, she remains the longest-living First Lady in U.S. history, a record she has held for decades.

Bess Truman was a famously private person who stood in stark contrast to her predecessor, the very public Eleanor Roosevelt. Having known Harry since they were children in Independence, Missouri, she was his closest confidante but preferred to stay out of the political spotlight. She saw her primary role as supporting her husband and family, once stating that a First Lady's duty was "to sit beside him and be sure his tie is straight." She avoided press conferences and focused on managing the White House social calendar and her personal correspondence.

After leaving Washington, D.C., the Trumans returned to their family home in Independence, where Bess lived for the rest of her life. She outlived her husband by nearly a decade, continuing to live a quiet life away from public view. Her longevity and her steadfast, unpretentious nature have made her a unique figure among America's First Ladies.