fordlibrarymuseum:Betty’s life changed dramatically once she became Mrs. Gerald Ford. They m
fordlibrarymuseum: Betty’s life changed dramatically once she became Mrs. Gerald Ford. They married on October 15, 1948, and her husband was elected to Congress 18 days later. Within weeks they moved to Washington, DC. Betty immersed herself into understanding Capitol Hill. “I saw that I would have to grow with Jerry or be left behind. And I had no intention of being left behind,” she recalled. She met with other Congressional wives, attended sessions of Congress, studied how bills became law, and gave tours to visiting constituents. Betty also did work to benefit various charitable causes such as the Red Cross and the Hospital for Sick Children. During the 1950s the Ford family grew and Betty devoted much of her time their four children, Michael, John, Steven, and Susan. She became a Den Mother, Sunday School teacher, PTA member, and managed their household with help from Clara Powell, who worked for the Fords for 20 years. She also remained involved in her husband’s career – attending White House and Congressional events, appearing in newspaper and magazine articles, and occasionally traveling abroad with Jerry. All of these activities took a toll. In 1964, a pinched nerve in her neck sent Betty to the hospital. Arthritis soon set in. These health problems combined with the stress of a husband increasingly pulled away from home by his job caused her to seek psychiatric help. “I could talk out my feelings of frustration,” she later wrote. “I no longer believe in suffering in silence over something that’s really bothering you. I think you have to get it out and on the table and discuss it, no matter what it is.” Together the family rallied around her and Betty resumed her active schedule. In 1972 Jerry raised the possibility of retiring at the end of his 1974 term. Betty was elated at the prospect of a life not driven by politics, but their lives would go in a much different direction than expected before they left Washington. -- source link
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