For most Americans, Betty Ford will be remembered as a national icon, but for many high-country residents, the “First Lady of Vail Valley” will be remembered as a loving and gracious neighbor.
The former first lady and her husband, former President Gerald Ford, first came to the infant ski town in 1968. They fell in love with the simplicity and uniqueness of the place and quickly turned it into their second home, said Sheika Gramshammer, a longtime friend.
“They really put Vail on the map as the Western White House when she became our first lady, and she was wonderful,” Gramshammer said.
Betty Ford died Friday in California. She was 93.
Gramshammer met the Fords in the late 1960s when Gerald Ford was serving in Congress. The family continued to visit the town regularly while he was vice president and president, Gramshammer said.
During their trips, Betty Ford loved to hike and spend time with her children. Her favorite vacation pasttime was playing gin rummy with her husband, away from the pressures of Washington, Gramshammer said.
“She was so down to earth, there was nothing pretentious about her,” said Gramshammer.
While both Fords veered away from Vail’s local politics, they wove their way into the fabric of the community by volunteering for numerous speaking events, luncheons and town activities.
“She would be there for whatever we needed,” said Gramshammer, who considered Betty Ford the mother she never had.
In 1988, Ford agreed to give her name to one of those causes — The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.
“She jumped in with both feet and became quite involved with the organization and not just the name of it,” said Nicola Ripley, executive director of the gardens.
While Ford was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the gardens, located near the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, she was not shy about providing input on several major decisions.
“It goes beyond all those official things. She was a very warm person and somebody that was a joy to be around,” Ripley said. “She was very profound and very gracious. That was the most remarkable thing about her.”
Ripley said the gardens are working with the Vail Valley Foundation to plan a memorial.
An advocate for the fight against breast cancer and the treatment of substance abuse, Ford founded the Betty Ford Center in California in 1982. It was the first hospital dedicated to providing treatment for alcoholism and other drug addictions.
In 2002, the center expanded, creating programs to help children ages 7 to 12 dealing with an alcoholic or drug-addicted family member. The program provides four-day programs to children in California, Texas and Colorado.
For 35 years, the Fords celebrated almost every Fourth of July in Vail. The only time the couple missed enjoying the holiday on Gramshammer’s balcony was in 1976, when Gerald Ford was president and the country was celebrating its 200th birthday.
Gramshammer said she last spoke with Betty Ford by phone on July 4, and Ford mentioned how much she missed spending the holiday in Vail.
Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
