Political Quotes

“today I ask my colleagues to honor the memory of one of our Nations' great leaders, former First Lady Betty Ford. Mrs. Ford passed away on July 8, 2011, at the age of 93. She leaves behind a legacy of candor, service, equal rights for all and a strong record of bipartisanship. Elizabeth Ann Bloomer was born in Chicago, IL, on April 8, 1918, to William Stephenson Bloomer and Hortense Neahr. She had two older brothers, William and Robert Bloomer. When she was young, the family moved to Grand Rapids, MI, where she spent her childhood. Dance was a passion of hers from a young age. While performing in Grand Rapids, she met Martha Graham, who became a lifelong friend, and was invited to perform with her dance company in New York City. To offset the cost of her own lessons, Mrs. Ford began teaching dance to children. She took on students with disabilities, even learning sign language so she could better help those who were hearing impaired. In 1947 a friend introduced her to Gerald Ford, a lawyer who had been a Navy lieutenant during World War II. They became engaged in February 1948 but waited to announce their plans to marry until June, when Ford had won the Republican primary for the local U.S. congressional seat. The couple was married in October 1948 in Grand Rapids, just 2 weeks before he was elected to his first of 13 congressional terms. They spent their honeymoon attending a campaign rally and a University of Michigan football game.…”