Elizabeth Ann "Betty" (Bloomer) Ford
Marriages
Gerald R. Ford - October 15, 1948
at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Obituaries
AlterNet - July 11, 2011
Betty Ford, by Adele M. Stan.
Denver Post page 5B - July 10, 2011
Vail was second home to former first lady, by Jordan Steffen.
Vail Daily page A4 - August 4, 2011
Valley to pay tribute to life of Betty Ford.
Vail Daily page A2 - August 8, 2011
'A National Treasure,' Betty Ford left a legacy of dignity, candor, by Randy Wyrick.
Vail Daily page A3 - July 9, 2011
Betty Ford leaves a legacy of dignity, candor; Former first lady died Friday afternoon, by Randy Wyrick.
VAIL, Colorado — When Jerry Ford spoke in public, he always began with “Betty and I ... â€
Vail's and America's first lady, Betty Ford, died Friday afternoon. She was 93.
Her grace and influence touched every part of Vail and the Vail Valley, and the world beyond.
‘Betty and I … '
Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford, born April 8, 1918 in Chicago, called herself a soccer mom, but she was so much more.
She was fiercely independent and publicly disagreed with core parts of the Republican platform. She built a legacy in substance abuse treatment that has helped countless others find their way out of the pit of addiction.
Here's a “Betty and I†story.
When the Fords started coming to Vail in the late 1960s, Jerry was a junior congressman from Michigan. By then, they'd had four children and they loved Vail so much that they cashed out their children's life insurance policies to buy a place in the Lodge at Vail. That's the way Jerry told it one day in the Vail Interfaith Chapel, smiling and stealing a glance at Betty.
It's easy to fall into writing and talking about Jerry and Betty, instead of just Betty. But as the former president said so often, for them it really, honestly was “Betty and I.â€
One of ‘us'
In the “us†vs. “them†mentality that pervades so much of life, Betty Ford was one of “us,†no matter who “us†is.
“She was down to earth, gentle, kind,†said Connie Jouflas. “She was interested in your family, as if she'd known them all her life.â€
Connie and Chris Jouflas are one of the valley's original ranching families.
“It was a privilege to know her,†Chris said.
“She had real friends here, close friends,†said Ceil Folz of the Vail Valley Foundation. “This wasn't a place they just came to vacation, this was one of their homes and they thought of it that way.â€
In 2005, June Vanourek helped organize a celebration for Betty at the Alpine Gardens. It was one of the last times the Fords made it to a big public event in their adopted home. Vanourek acknowledged that she didn't know Betty well, but putting together the celebration, and her involvement with the gardens, gave her oceans of respect for the former first lady.
“I don't think a lot of people realize what she did for Americans — and for women,†Vanourek said. “She got tested for breast cancer and talked about it. She admitted to her addiction. People — and especially women — didn't talk about those things. But when the first lady came out and talked about them, it was allowed.
“She actually saved lives,†Vanourek added. “I don't know how many first ladies you can say that about.â€
We all know about the magic she worked to change the nation's attitudes about addiction.
But did you know after she was admitted to the Long Beach Naval Hospital's Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Service on April Fool's Day 1978, Jerry never took another drink? He said he had been an empowerer, and would not be again.
Betty Ford earned Good Housekeeping's Woman of the Year award, but did you know she was a professional dancer and model?
And a Sunday School teacher, a Cub Scout den mother and a stay-at-home mom.
Queen of candor
She will be remembered for her grace and dignity, but more so for her candor.
In 1974, she was the new second lady and Jerry was appointed as the new vice president.
Barbara Walters asked her about the recent Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.
Betty said it was “time to bring abortion out of the back woods and into hospitals where it belongs.â€
With that, “my reputation for candor was established,†Ford wrote in her autobiography.
Nixon resigned under the Watergate flood. Six weeks later, during a routine checkup, a doctor found cancerous lump in her breast.
After a family meeting, she decided to go public, inviting the media into the hospital to photograph her in her robe.
The first lady was talking about breast cancer, so suddenly it was OK.
“Before I was ever out of the hospital, there were, on television, women checking in to have mammograms,†Ford said at the Gerald Ford Museum in May 2001.
She told McCall's magazine that she and Jerry slept together in the White House, and she liked to have sex “as often as possible.â€
In 1975, she told CBS “60 Minutes†that her she wouldn't be surprised if her daughter was having premarital sex.
“She's a perfectly normal human being,†she said to a national television audience.
She said her children had probably tried marijuana and she might have if it had been in vogue in her youth.
She campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment, more federal funding for the arts, and aid for sick and abused children.
America loved her, and still does. She said she wished Jerry had had her popularity in 1976, when Jimmy Carter defeated him by just 1.7 million votes.
By the way, alcohol rehab did nothing to dampen her candor. She entered treatment in April, and in September she declared she'd had more than five hours of cosmetic surgery — a little work around the eyes and tightening some skin around the neck. She had her hair lightened.
She looked fantastic.
She told us everything about it, except the name of the surgeon. So, of course, several surgeons took credit.
Upstairs/downstairs disagreement
The Fords hosted the AEI World Forum and part of the event was a reception on the porch at their Beaver Crek home.
Betty called Folz to say it was about to rain and that shouldn't do the party. They couldn't fit all those people inside.
Folz went over to the house and Betty showed her how the upstairs wasn't big enough.
About that time, President Ford — the “I†in “Betty and I,†came in asking, “What are you talking about? Everyone can go downstairs.â€
She said, “No they can't.â€
“They were kind of arguing in front of me,†Folz said.
Jerry pointed out that he used to be president of the United States, and that he could get everyone to go downstairs.
Of course, everyone was upstairs through the entire party.
“When I'm right, I'm right.â€
“It was very human, you could see it happening in any house, anywhere,†Folz said. “I loved their relationship. They were very much like a team. President Ford would always check with Betty.â€
“Betty and I,†together forever.
Staff Writers Scott Miller and Lauren Glendenning contributed to this report.
Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 or rwyrick@vaildaily.com.
Vail Daily page A2 - July 9, 2011
Life of a First Lady: Betty Ford 1918--2011, compiled by Nikki Katz.
Vail Daily page A22 - July 9, 2011
Nation reacts to the passing of Betty Ford, Associated Press.
Vail Daily page A8 - July 9, 2011
Wooing the Russians to Vail, by Tamara Miller.
Vail Daily page A7 - July 9, 2011
Legacy in the gardens: Ford truly loved Vail gardens named for her, by Lauren Glendenning.
Vail Daily page A4 - July 9, 2011
'Like everybody else:' Ford remembered as a great supporter of the Vail Valley, by Tamara Miller and Scott N. Miller.
Vail Daily page A3 - July 10, 2011
Betty Ford was a role model to many , by Lauren Glendenning.
Vail Daily page A8 - July 10, 2011
2005: hundreds celebrate Betty Ford in Vail, by Scott N. Miller.
Vail Daily page A18 - July 10, 2011
Betty Ford paved roads to recovery, by Anthony McCartney.
Vail Daily page A19 - June 10, 2011
Home of rehab center absorbs loss of founder, by Anthony McCartney and Shaya Tayefe Mohaver.
Vail Daily page A5 - July 15, 2011
Betty April 8, 1918--July 8, 2011 [cartoon], by Siddle.
Vail Daily page A9 - July 15, 2011
Celebrations of Betty Ford's life will be held AUg. 6 and 7.
Vail Daily page A5 - July 31, 2011
A 4-letter word for Betty Ford [commentary], by Jack Van Ens.
