Before she had the opportunity to share these thoughts with her husband, he fell into a diabetic coma, which left him unable to walk. Bloomer supported the household and visited her husband in the hospital until he recovered two years later. In 1947, when she was 29, the couple divorced. In 1947, Bloomer met Gerald R. Ford, a Navy lieutenant who had recently returned from a tour of duty to resume his law practice. The young couple dated for a year before marrying on October 15, 1948. Two weeks later, her husband won election to the House of Representatives. Life in Washington

The Fords moved to Washington, expecting to stay for one two-year term. They remained for 29 years. Ford immersed herself in her new life as the wife of a young Congressman. She learned how the legislature and Supreme Court operated and participated in the Congressional Wives Club. The Fords had four children, Michael Gerald, born March 15, 1950; John Gardner, born March 16, 1952; Steven Meigs, born May 19, 1956; and Susan Elizabeth, born July 6, 1957. The family lived in Alexandria, Virginia. While her husband climbed through the ranks of the House, Ford was involved with her young children's activities, including Cub Scouts, Brownies, Sunday school and sports. She also remained active in the Congressional Wives Club, the 81st Congress Club, and the National Federation of Republican Women. In 1964, at the age of 46, Ford suffered a pinched nerve in her neck, which caused debilitating pain. She was placed in traction and underwent physical therapy, but the condition remained. The pinched nerve combined with pain from arthritis prompted doctors to prescribe pain medication, which eventually caused dependence. When her husband became minority leader of the House of Representatives in 1965, it put a strain on Ford's mental health. He traveled extensively, leaving her to care for the family almost exclusively. It was a difficult year for Ford. In her autobiography, she described herself as a fragile bottle that finally broke. She sought therapy to ease the strain. White House Years

In 1973, as the Fords were planning for retirement, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned and President Richard Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as his replacement. The family was suddenly thrust into the limelight and Ford had to adjust to the attention and the challenge of dealing with the media. She soon developed a reputation for candor.