Flipping back through old photos of Marjorie Merriweather Post, author Allison Pataki admits she gets a little emotional when she catches the eye of the late socialite staring back into the camera.

Marjorie Merriweather Post was once known as America's richest woman, with an estimated net worth of $250 million, or around $1.8 billion today when adjusted for inflation. Although she inherited ...