Former First Lady Betty Ford Dies at 93

Former First Lady Betty Ford Dies at 93

Former First Lady Betty Ford with husband Gerald Ford

Betty Ford, the former first lady and wife of President Gerald R. Ford who was president from 1974-77 died on Friday July 8, 2011 at the age of 93.  Former first lady Nancy Reagan said "I was deeply saddened when I heard of Betty Ford's death."  Her death Friday was confirmed to the Associated Press by Marty Allen, Chairman Emeritus of the Ford Foundation.  Family spokeswoman Barbara Lewandrowski said later that the former first lady died at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs, California.  She and her husband spent their later years in Rancho Mirago, California.  Her husband, Gerald, died in December 2006.  Ford was dubbed the "fighting first lady" by Time because of her outspoken political views.  She was very supportive of the passage of ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) and she would work the phones in a losing attempt to encourage states to pass the amendment.  She took a tolerant stand on abortion and even admitted without shame that some of her children tried marijuana.  Newsmax says she wasn't even alarmed at the prospect of her daughter engaging in premarital sex. 

Ford was an early campaigner against breast cancer.  She had a masectomy in 1974, less than two months after her husband succeeded Richard Nixon due to his coverup in the Watergate Scandal.  Her candid discussion about breast cancer raised a new awareness toward breast cancer, which wasn't openly discussed in society until she spoke about her breast cancer.   She later spoke about the problems she had with addiction to drugs and alcohol.   Ford's problems with chemical dependency may have begun in 1964, when doctors prescribed her painkillers for pinched nerves.  She developed an addiction to drugs as well as alcohol during the 1960's.  The Betty Ford Center in California begin in 1982 after she was treated for her addictions at the U.S. Naval Hospital at Long Beach, California.  She saw the need for treatment that emphasized the special needs of women.

Betty Ford married her husband in 1948, the first year that he ran for Congress from Michigan and won his first race.  They were married for over 58 years.  They both had four children.  For the rest of the story, clink on the above link from Newsmax.