Obituaries

Betty Ford Memorial Service Planned Tuesday In Palm Desert

Family spokeswoman Barbara Lewandrowski said the service is scheduled for 2 p.m. at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church located at 47-535 Highway 74 in Palm Desert.

A memorial service for former first lady Betty Ford will be held Tuesday at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, where the Fords had worshipped since moving to the region after President Gerald Ford left office in 1977.

Family spokeswoman Barbara Lewandrowski said the service is  scheduled for 2 p.m. at 47-535 Highway 74 and that Ford later would be buried next to her husband, who died in 2006 at the age of 93, at the Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Betty Ford was a champion for breast-cancer awareness, abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment while first lady. But she will probably be best remembered for her public battle against addiction to alcohol and pain pills and for co-founding the addiction-treatment center that bears her name.

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Her four children -- Michael Gerald, 61; John Gardner, 59; Steven Meigs, 55; and Susan Ford Bales, 54 -- issued a statement after their mother died Friday at the age of 93.

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

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Betty Ford, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the
Congressional Gold Medal, served as chair of the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage until she was 88.

"As our nation's first lady, she was a powerful advocate for women's
health and women's rights,'' President Barack Obama said. "After  leaving the White House, Mrs. Ford helped reduce the social stigma surrounding addiction and inspired thousands to seek much-needed treatment.

"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.''

Born in Chicago on April 8, 1918, Elizabeth Ann (Betty) Bloomer was
raised in Grand Rapids. She attended the Bennington School of Dance in Vermont for two summers after graduating from high school in 1936 and eventually became a member of choreographer Martha Graham's Auxiliary Performance Troupe, performing at Carnegie Hall.

After moving back to Michigan, she formed her own dance group and worked with disabled children, helping them experience the rhythm of dance -- beginning a lifetime of philanthropic work.

She married a salesman named William Warren in 1942, but they divorced a few years later.

In 1947, she was introduced by a friend to Gerald R. Ford, and they were engaged by February of the next year. The couple married in October 1948, and Ford was elected to Congress two weeks later. He went on to serve in the House of Representatives for 25 years.

In 1973, the Fords were planning to retire, but Gerald Ford was chosen
by President Richard Nixon to replace the resigned Spiro Agnew as vice president. When Nixon resigned in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal, Ford became the nation's 38th president.

Not long after Ford took office, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast
cancer. Her public battle with the disease and openness in discussing her condition was credited with raising public awareness of treatment options.

She continued during her husband's administration to be outspoken on
women's rights, abortion rights and other hot-button topics -- earning her some criticism from conservative Republicans.

After Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election, the couple moved to Rancho Mirage. Betty Ford began coping with her prescription drug and alcohol abuse when she was confronted by relatives urging her to seek help. She checked into Long Beach Naval Hospital for treatment -- a process she detailed in her 1978 autobiography, "The Times of My Life.''

Betty Ford went on to become one of the most famous spokeswomen for alcohol and drug treatment, co-founding the Betty Ford Center at Eisenhower Medical Center in 1982.

"Betty Ford was a true inspiration for millions of Americans,'' Palm
Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet said in a statement. "Her work with substance abuse here in the Coachella Valley had a far reaching effect and she will be greatly missed. I extend my deepest condolences to her family.''

Former President George H.W. Bush called Betty Ford "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 we faced,'' he said. "The Betty Ford Center, which already has helped change the lives of thousands of people, will be her lasting legacy of care and concern.''

Former first lady Nancy Reagan said she was "deeply saddened'' by Betty Ford's passing.

"She had been an inspiration to so many through her efforts to educate women about breast cancer and her wonderful work at the Betty Ford Center,'' Reagan said. "She was Jerry Ford's strength through some very difficult days in our country's history, and I admired her courage in facing and sharing her personal struggles with all of us.''

Vice President Joe Biden, a senator when Gerald Ford was president, said that "throughout her life, Betty displayed strength, courage and
determination that provided hope for millions of Americans seeking a healthier, happier future.

"Her legacy and work will live on through the millions of lives she has
touched and the many more who will continue to look to her for inspiration.''

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that contributions be made
to the Betty Ford First Ladies Tribute Fund, c/o the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, 303 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, Mich., 49504; Betty Ford Diagnostic Breast Center, Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion, 145 Michigan St. NE, Suite 4200, Grand Rapids, Mich., 49503; Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, 183 Gore Creek Drive, Vail, Colo., 81657; The Betty Ford Legacy Scholarship Fund, c/o Betty Ford Center Foundation, 41990 Cook St., Suite C-101, Palm Desert, Calif., 92211. --City News Service


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