Two Missouri Country Boys, Ordained of God

Missouri is often called the heartland of America and is quite literally almost the center of the United States. Missourians have a reputation of being down to earth, no-nonsense people and “the show-me state” is proudly displayed on their license plates, the saying being ascribed by some to a statement made by a Congressman in 1899, “…frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I'm from Missouri, and you have got to show me."

 Family history lists Golden Davidson born in Virginia about 1770. The family migrated to Tennessee, then Alabama and finally Illinois. Golden’s grandson and Doyle Davidson’s great-grandfather, James Madison Davidson, moved to Jasper County, Missouri in the late 1800’s. Newell Miller, Doyle’s maternal great-grandfather served in the Civil War in the 2nd Michigan Cavalry, Company B and mustered out as a sergeant.  He moved to Missouri from Illinois also in the late 1800s. A number of Doyle’s maternal ancestors came to New England in the 1630’s, and were founders of Rhode Island and the first Six Principle Church in America.

Doyle’s ancestors were military men from the earliest settlers of New England to the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War and the wars of the 20th Century. Doyle served four years in the United States Navy during the Korean War.  Predominately English, Scottish, German with Cherokee  and also some Irish and Welsh mixed in, they were horseman, stockmen, farmers and ranchers and they loved their country and trusted God as much as they knew.  Both of Doyle’s grandfathers, Luther Davidson (b. 1874) and Frank Miller (b. 1883) were born in Missouri in Jasper County and Newton County respectively. They lived and raised their families there and are both buried very near where they were born. Doyle was born on a farm adjacent to the property where his grandfather, Luther, was born and his parents, Lyle and Alba (Miller) Davidson were both born and raised in Jasper and Newton Counties.

President Truman was born on a farm near Lamar, Missouri and grew up farming most of his life. His ancestors were predominantly English, but also Scottish, French and German. According to his family history the first recorded ancestors in America were in Virginia. They pushed westward to Kentucky and later moved to Missouri, settling there in the 1840s. Truman’s forefathers were also military, a number of them serving in the American Revolution.  His parents, John and Martha (Young) Truman were both born in Missouri, their families having settled in the Jackson County area.

Solomon Young, Truman’s maternal grandfather, became a large landowner and also a freighter, running freight as far as San Francisco, California and Salt Lake City, Utah. His landholdings grew to almost 2000 acres before the Civil War. His grandfather Anderson Truman was also a landowner and farmer, though of somewhat more modest means. The President remembers his Grandpa Truman as a “grand man”, a strong Baptist and violently anti-Catholic.

John and Martha Truman moved to Lamar, Missouri soon after their marriage, where John established himself as a livestock trader, especially horses and mules although he considered himself a farmer. Harry was born there May 8, 1884.

The President remembered his father this way:

“He was an honorable man. If he guaranteed a horse in a horse sale that guarantee was as good as a bond. If he agreed to do a day’s work for a certain amount of money he’d give good measure on the work. He always expected the people that worked for him to give him a day’s work for a day’s pay—and woe to a loafer. He made the pole tax workers work for the county just as they worked for themselves…I was taught that the expenditure of public money is a public trust and I have never changed my opinion on that subject.”

Similar sentiments are reflected in Doyle’s testimony of the day Lyle Davidson came to Texas and spent a day at 121 Veterinary Hospital. He mingled with Doyle’s clients while Doyle tended his patients, which were predominately equine. At the end of the day, Lyle said, “Well, I’ve learned two things.”

 “Yes, and what would that be?”

 “Your clients say you are honest, and you’re not afraid to tell someone you don’t know, but you’ll try to find out.”

 “Well, that shouldn’t surprise you, you raised me.”

Doyle was told once by a client, “Doc, you are too honest for your own good,” and Doyle’s reply was, “Never.”

The Truman family moved to Independence, Missouri and Harry attended public school, graduating in 1901 and the family moved to Kansas City in 1902.  Following high school he worked as a timekeeper for the railroad and as a clerk at  two banks in Kansas City before returning to Grandview to farm with his father, and remained there ten plus years.

Truman had joined the Missouri National Guard in 1905 and served with them until 1911. When the United States entered WWI he helped form the 2nd Regiment of Missouri Field Artillery and went on to serve in France, was promoted to Captain and given command of Battery D, of the 129th Field Artillery. After the war he joined the reserves achieving the rank of Colonel.

Harry married his childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth “Bess” Wallace in 1919, when he returned home from the service and they had one daughter, Mary Margaret. An interesting note, Harry learned to play the piano at the insistence of his mother and was an accomplished amateur pianist.

Doyle was well acquainted with Jewish people during his life, his Dad did business with them and Doyle did as well in his years as a veterinarian. His superior in the U.S. Navy, Chief Medical Officer Captain Cohen, was a Jew and became a friend. Doyle speaks of him with great fondness and respect. Harry Truman grew up with Orthodox Jews as neighbors and during his time in the service he met and became good friends with Eddie Jacobson. Eddie wasn’t born in Missouri, but his family moved to Kansas City in 1905 and he is buried there.  After returning to civilian life, the two went into business together, opening a “haberdasher” (hat store). With the beginning of the depression, they soon went broke. They refused to file for bankruptcy and it took fifteen years to repay their investors.

Thomas Pendergast (a political boss in Kansas City and Jackson County) appointed Truman as overseer of highways; this would have been during the years Luther Davidson was involved in county and state road construction and was an appointed road supervisor. Truman had became acquainted with Thomas’ nephew while in the military and that relationship facilitated his introduction to Thomas. Pendergast later encouraged Truman to run for one of the judgeships in the county and he won. It was and administrative position rather than judicial, similar to a commissioner in other areas. He lost his bid for a second term and later won again and served until he was elected to the United States Senate in 1934. He established a reputation for honesty and integrity in county government and serving in the Senate.

President Roosevelt chose Harry Truman as his vice-president for his fourth term with encouragement from his advisors and they won the election in 1944. Three months into the term, Roosevelt died and Vice-President Truman became President of the United States.

Daniel 2:

 21 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

 22 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

 Prior to his death, President Roosevelt attended the Yalta Conference (February 4-11, 1945) where world leaders met to discuss a post-war Europe. He made plans on his return to the States to meet with a number of Middle East leaders and arranged a meeting with the Saudi king, King Abdul Aziz, aboard the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal, February 14, 1945. The two leaders found they had had much in common and a friendly rapport developed between them. During their private meeting, according to William A. Eddy (who was acting as Minister to Saudi Arabia), when Roosevelt mentioned Palestine and a Jewish homeland, the Saudi king was opposed to a great influx of Jewish people allowed into Palestine and stated as much, suggesting that Germany should be responsible for them, leaving Roosevelt with the impression he was willing to go to war on the side of the Arabs in Palestine. The President assured the King that he would “do nothing to assist the Jews against the Arabs and would make no move hostile to the Arab people.” The president later sent a formal letter to King Aziz, reiterating the statement. Two months later President Roosevelt died and Harry S. Truman was sworn in as President of the United States.

The Potsdam Declaration (July 26, 1945), called for the surrender of Japan, with the alternative being, “prompt and utter destruction.” August 6, 1945, the United States detonated an atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. Hours later, President Truman again called for Japan’s surrender, warning them to "expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth." On July 9th, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. August 15th, the Emperor of Japan gave a formal radio address, announcing Japan’s surrender to the Allies.

In the closing months of Truman’s presidency, Winston Churchill told him:

“The last time you and I sat across a conference table was at Potsdam. I must confess sir, I held you in very low regard. I loathed your taking the place of Franklin Roosevelt. I misjudged you badly. Since that time, you, more than any other man, have saved Western civilization.”

Truman was brought up in the Baptist church and was a student of the bible. His actual writings reflect the influence of his parents and grandparents and the rural community he was raised in.

Sometime during his presidency, Truman made the statement:

“I am not Roosevelt! I am not from New York! I’m from the Middle West. I must do what I think is right.”

Doyle’s mother’s cousin, Paul Miller born in Newton County, Missouri, became chief of the Washington Bureau of Associated Press in 1942 and was elected as president of the organization in 1963, stated:

"Our actions must be determined not by mere compliance with state or federal law, not by public attitudes, but on the basis of doing the right thing."

 Many times Doyle has shared how his parents, grandparents and the rural community he was raised in molded his character and personality, the influence of his parents, Lyle and Alba, especially. They read the bible together as a family and he remembers his dad, a student of the bible, often with the bible open on his lap.  Lyle demonstrated his faith by his works and he ministered that faith to Doyle's heart. The hours his mother spent playing the piano and singing hymns are written in his heart and being brought forth today.

The subject of Palestine and the Jewish refugees became the new President’s responsibility after the death of Roosevelt and it brought much trouble as he endeavored to resolve it. Everyone had an opinion, and he was determined to do what was in the best interests of the United States. Richard Holbrook who served as Special Counsel to the President, stated that Truman, from the beginning of his presidency was in favor of the Jewish people having their own state. He felt it was a moral obligation, influenced at least to some degree, by his own study of the Bible. He was lobbied from all sides and remarks from some speaking for the Jewish cause were accusatory and tried to turn it into a political issue. For Truman, it had nothing to do with politics, and he finally refused to see anyone. It seems his greatest concern was it would require him to commit American troops to protect the new state and that in turn could provoke  Stalin into sending troops and it escalating into a full-scale conflict with the Soviet Union which he intended to avoid at all costs. All of his military advisors were telling him Israel would not be able to defend themselves against an Arab attack. His Secretary of State and  General of the Army, George C. Marshall, was his most trusted advisor and Marshall was adamantly opposed to recognizing a Jewish state.

The Balfour Agreement was soon to expire and still the Jewish people had no assurance from the administration that they had U.S. support. Dr. Chaim Weizmann who later became the first President of Israel, came to Washington D.C. and requested an audience with President Truman, to present the case for a Jewish homeland.  Although the President had great respect for Weizmann, he refused to see him. Truman’s friend and partner, Eddie Jacobson was enlisted to intervene and appeal to President Truman to meet with Weizmann. One can’t help but be reminded of Mordacai’s words to Esther, “…how do you know, that you weren’t born for such a time as this.”  Eddie met with Weizmann in New York and then visited the President, unannounced.  By the end of their visit, Truman agreed to a meeting with Weizmann.

Their meeting (Truman and Weizmann) confirmed what Truman already believed, the Jewish people must have their own state. As soon as the Balfour Agreement expired and Ben Gurion announced their independence and formation of a government, Truman wanted the United States to be the first to recognize them as a state.

President Truman 1964 Video.

And that is just what happened, eleven minutes after Israel’s Proclamation of Independence, President Truman signed an executive order recognizing the State of Israel.

In 1949, the Chief Rabbi of Israel visited Truman and during their meeting said:

God put you in your mother’s womb so that you could be the instrument to bring about the rebirth of Israel after two thousand years,” and he went on to read to him the words of King Cyrus, King of Persia, from the Book of Ezra:

The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kindness of the earth and he hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.


An eyewitness at that meeting recorded the moment and wrote that Truman wept; and then asked “…if his actions on behalf of the Jewish people were indeed to be interpreted thus… and that the hand of God was in the matter…” and the rabbi reassured him it was so…and that he too [as Cyrus] would occupy a place of honor in annals of the Jewish people.”

When David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel visited the United States for the last time, he reiterated to President Truman that he had a place of honor in Jewish history.

Harry S. Truman , a native son of Missouri, a man chosen by God to fulfill His purposes, oversaw the re-birth of the nation of Israel in 1948.

Doyle Davidson, also a son of Missouri, servant and apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will God, called into the ministry in Columbia, Missouri in 1958 and anointed at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem June 17, 1974, chosen to lead God’s people in these last days.

Acts 17:

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

Two Missouri sons, ordained of God for His purposes.


Compiled by Kathryn Currier
Writing and Research


Sources: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel by Michael T. Benson; The Faith of the Post War Presidents by David Holmes; Truman Library; Teaching American History.org; Truman’s Grandview Farm by Jon Taylor; Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs; Wikipedia; Water of Life Ministries/Doyle Davidson.

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