Ida Stover Eisenhower Character Analysis

Ida Stover Eisenhower was the mother of Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower. She had a tragic upbringing that left her orphaned and forced to strike out on her own. She met David Eisenhower, whose cold and stubborn temper was the opposite of her warm and optimistic one. They raised five boys together, moving from Kansas to Texas and back again as they struggled with poverty. All her boys revered Ida. Although the atmosphere at home was strict, Ida instilled in the boys a love of education and surrounded them with her warm personality. She forbade excess entertainment, wanting to encourage moderation for fear that without this skill, her boys would easily slip into sinful behavior. After losing a baby, she became more deeply religious but maintained her fun-loving nature. Once, when Dwight flew into a rage at being denied permission to go trick-or-treating and his father punished him harshly, Ida went to his room and told him that the greatest thing a person can do is conquer their own soul. Dwight always remembered this moment.