Marking an Author's Passing

[L Verge]

I have been corresponding with our newest forum member, Jim Woodall, and asked him if he had read An American Tragedy by Elizabeth Steger Trindal. He just responded that he had run across her obituary while researching.

Bettie was a friend to a few of us on this forum and very dedicated in her belief that Mrs Surratt was the victim of a vengeful aftermath of the assassination. I knew her from the early days of her researching the subject, and we stayed friends despite our differences of opinion. She was a longtime Life Member of the Surratt Society until our decision to carry an edited reissue of Richard Smoot's little booklet caused dissatisfaction.

I last spoke with Bettie over a year ago. Jim tells me that she passed away on New Year's Eve last year, 2013.

[RJNorton]

Laurie and Jim, I am very sorry to hear of Bettie's passing. Until Kate Larson's terrific book came out hers was the book I recommended to students who were researching Mary Surratt. Once Kate's book was published I recommended both books, and asked the students to make up their own minds regarding Mary's guilt/innocence.

[L Verge]

We continue to make the same suggestion to people at Surratt House. Both Kate's and Bettie's work are the perfect examples of comparing totally different approaches to the same subject.

Something that I have always felt appreciative to Bettie for was her ability to get Surratt descendants and Jenkins family members to talk to her. She opened doors when others had had them closed in their face - much like our other Betty O has done with the Powell family. Sympathy and understanding go a long way in getting to the personal side of our subjects.

[BettyO]

I, too am saddened to hear of Bettie Trindal's passing -

I was aware that she was in ill health when she was scheduled to give a talk in Richmond in January of 2012 and suffered a heart attack shortly before leaving home to make her presentation. I had heard nothing further and was wondering how she was doing....

[L Verge]

When I talked to Bettie last fall, she was doing much better (or at least said so). While she did have heart problems, the doctors had decided that the incident in Richmond was not a heart attack, but rather an attack of the same thing that has had me on bed rest for the past week. I commiserated with her - having dealt with this chronic ailment for ten years. We agreed that misery loved company.