Betty Ford died at age 93 yesterday, leaving behind an incredible legacy for women.
For me, as I wrote on my women and money blog last night -
I know of few American women who have shared their wealth of experience, bravery and gutsiness, more vividly and powerfully than former First Lady, Betty Ford. Her 1942 first marriage to William Warren finally ended in a divorce in 1947, due to “excessive, repeated cruelty”. What most people may not know is that Mr. Warren was an alcoholic and slipped into a coma just after Betty had filed for divorce, yet she unswervingly cared for him another 2 whole years!
I especially honor Betty Ford for thinking independently from her husband, Gerald Ford, taking opposite stands on matters that pertained particularly to women, most notably, her support of reproductive choice, stating, “having babies is a blessing, not a duty.”
An excellent overview of her life is in this morning’s Sacramento Bee.
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