UPDATE 2 -- Former U.S. First Lady Betty Ford dead at 93

[News_Editor]

UPDATE 2 -- Former U.S. First Lady Betty Ford dead at 93

2011-07-09 15:54:12 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- Former U.S. First Lady Betty Ford, the widow of President Gerald Ford, died at a hospital in California on Friday afternoon, her family said on early Saturday morning. She was 93.

"It is with great sadness that we inform you that our beloved mother Betty Ford has passed away at 93 years of age," a joint statement from her four children said. It said Betty Ford died peacefully on Friday afternoon at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California, but gave no details on the cause of death.

"Mother's love, candor, devotion, and laughter enriched our lives and the lives of the millions she touched throughout this great nation. To be in her presence was to know the warmth of a truly great lady," her children added. "Mother's passing leaves a deep void, but it also fills us with immeasurable appreciation for the life we and Dad shared with her."

Betty Ford was born as Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in Chicago on April 8, 1918 but was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She developed a passion for dance at an early age and, upon graduation from high school in 1936, Bloomer attended the Bennington School of Dance in Vermont for two summers. She then continued her studies in New York City, where she became a member of Auxiliary Performance Troupe and performed at Carnegie Hall.

But close family ties brought Bloomer back to Grand Rapids in 1941. She became fashion coordinator for Herpolsheimer's, a locally prominent department store, and continued her interest in dance, forming her own performance group. She also worked with handicapped children, helping them experience the joy of rhythm and movement in dance.

Less than a year later, Bloomer married salesman William Warren. But the union did not last, and they divorced amicably in 1947. During the same year, Bloomer was introduced by a friend to Gerald R. Ford, Jr., a young lawyer who had served as a U.S. Navy lieutenant during World War II.

Months later, in February 1948, the couple was engaged to be married. Their wedding took place on October 15, 1948, two weeks before Gerald Ford was elected to his first term in Congress. They moved to Washington, D.C. where he served as member of the House of Representatives for 25 years.

Betty Ford quickly assumed the tasks of a congressional spouse of the era, spending much of her time in volunteer work with the Congressional Wives Club, the 81st Congress Club, and the National Federation of Republican Women. She also provided tours of the Capitol to visiting constituents from Michigan.

Over the years, the Fords became the parents of four children: Michael Gerald, born March 14, 1950; John Gardner, born March 16, 1952; Steven Meigs, born May 19, 1956; and Susan Elizabeth, born July 6, 1957. Clara Powell, hired in 1949 to assist in housekeeping, became an extended family member over the next twenty years.

While in Congress, the Fords lived in Alexandria, Virginia. There, in addition to her congressional spouse activities, Betty Ford supervised the home, did the cooking, undertook volunteer work, and taught Sunday school at Emmanual-on-the-Hill Episcopal Church. She was active in PTA and devoted much time to supporting her children's pursuits in Scouting, baseball, and football and the many other activities of a young growing family.

By 1973, the Fords were planning retirement from Congress when a turn of political events shook the nation and reshaped their own future. After the 1972 break-in of Democratic Headquarters in the Watergate Hotel, the Nixon administration gradually became mired in an unfolding scandal and consumed by legal investigations. Then, when Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned amidst a scandal of his own, President Nixon nominated Congressman Ford to replace Agnew. After President Nixon himself resigned on August 9, 1974, Gerald Ford took the oath of office as 38th President of the United States. Instead of retiring, the Fords moved to the White House.

As the new First Lady, Betty Ford immediately revealed the openness and good-natured candor that became her trademark. She held her first press conference on September 4, 1974. Expressing herself with humor and forthrightness on controversial issues of the day, she answered questions about women in politics, abortion rights, and a proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.

When she was diagnosed with breast cancer later that month, Betty Ford broke with social conventions by fostering public discussion of her diagnosis and treatment. In doing this, she purposefully raised public awareness of screening and treatment options and reassured the many women already suffering from similar ordeals. As soon as possible, she resumed her public duties at the Executive Mansion.

During her tenure as First Lady, Betty Ford was an outspoken advocate of women's rights and aspirations in an era when there was much debate on the matter. She also encouraged the appointment of more women to senior government posts, supported the U.N. International Women's Year in 1975, and supported passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Then, during an interview on CBS News' 60 Minutes, Betty Ford candidly shared her opinions on such provocative issues as abortion rights, pre-marital sex, and marijuana use. Her statements drew the ire of many conservatives at a time when former California governor Ronald Reagan was already challenging her husband for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 1976. Public approval ratings for the Fords fell as a result, but they recovered months later.

Betty Ford was an enthusiastic supporter of her husband during the 1976 Presidential election campaign. She made several speaking tours throughout the east and mid-west. Her popularity was reflected on lapel buttons that proclaimed "Betty's Husband For President!" When Gerald Ford was defeated by former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter, the couple left Washington and moved to Rancho Mirage, California.

In 1978, Betty Ford's prescription drug and alcohol use led to a family intervention and her self-admittance to Long Beach Naval Hospital for treatment. But she again, as with her breast cancer, openly dealt with the problems.

Her 1978 autobiography, 'The Times of My Life', chronicled her life through the White House years and concluded with a candid, unplanned chapter on her admittance to Long Beach. Her second book, 'Betty: A Glad Awakening', was published in 1987, recounting her experience of recovery from chemical dependency. She became an active and outspoken champion of improved awareness, education, and treatment for alcohol and other drug dependencies.

In 1982, her good friend, Ambassador Leonard Firestone, joined Betty Ford in co-founding the non-profit Betty Ford Center at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. Betty Ford worked tirelessly to raise funds and to help research and design treatments to assist men, women and families in recovery from alcoholism and other drug dependency.

Betty Ford passed the leadership of the Betty Ford Center to her daughter, Susan Ford Bales, in 2005 but continued to remain active and interested in the work being done at the center. After her husband's death on December 26, 2006, Betty Ford vanished from the public eye. She resided in Rancho Mirage until she died at an area hospital on Friday.

U.S. President Barack Obama praised the life of Betty Ford in a statement released by the White House. "While her death is a cause for sadness, we know that organizations such as the Betty Ford Center will honor her legacy by giving countless Americans a new lease on life," Obama said. "Today, we take comfort in the knowledge that Betty and her husband, former President Gerald Ford, are together once more."

Former U.S. President George W. Bush said he and his wife Laura are 'deeply saddened' by the passing of Ford. "We admired her as a First Lady and valued her as a friend. She made countless contributions to our country, and we especially appreciate her courage in calling attention to breast cancer and substance abuse," Bush said. "Because of her leadership, many lives were saved. Tonight our prayers go out to Mrs. Ford's entire family."

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also said they are 'deeply saddened' by the passing of Ford. "Betty was a remarkable woman whose legacy will live on in people around the country whose lives are longer and better because of her work. Our thoughts and prayers are with her children and grandchildren. We are grateful for her contributions, and for her kindness to us. We will miss her," the couple said.

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush said he and his wife Barbara loved Ford 'very much.' "She was a wonderful wife and mother; a great friend; and a courageous First Lady. No one confronted life's struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced."

Also in response to the news, former U.S. President Carter and his wife Rosalynn said Betty Ford was a close personal friend and 'our frequent partner' in bipartisan efforts to improve mental health and substance abuse care in the United States. "She was a remarkable political spouse, whose courageous candor helped forge a new era of openness after the divisiveness of the Vietnam War and Watergate," the couple said.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-09