Born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in Chicago, she grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and graduated from high school there. She studied modern dance at Bennington College in Vermont, decided to make it a career, and became a member of Martha Graham’s noted concert group in New York City, supporting herself as a fashion model for the John Robert Powers firm. Their four children–Michael, Jack, Steven, and Susan–were born in the next ten years. As her husband’s political career became more demanding, Betty Ford found herself shouldering many of the family responsibilities. She supervised the home, did the cooking, undertook volunteer work, and took part in the activities of “House wives” and “Senate wives” for Congressional and Republican clubs. In addition, she was an effective campaigner for her husband.
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