Lura Lynn Ryan

Lura Lynn Ryan
Lura Lynn Ryan
First Lady of Illinois
	In role; January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003
Governor	George Ryan
Preceded by	Brenda Edgar
Succeeded by	Patricia Blagojevich
Second Lady of Illinois
	In role; January 10, 1983 – January 14, 1991
Governor	James R. Thompson
Preceded by	Sandra O'Neal
Succeeded by	Kathy Kustra
Personal details
Born	Lura Lynn Lowe; July 5, 1934; Aroma Park, Illinois, U.S.
Died	June 27, 2011 (aged 76); Kankakee, Illinois, U.S.
Resting place	Kankakee Memorial Gardens and Chapel Mausoleum ; Kankakee, Illinois
Political party	Republican
Spouse	George Ryan (m. 1956)
Children	6
Alma mater	Moser Business College; Kankakee High School

Lura Lynn Ryan (July 5, 1934 – June 27, 2011) was the

Illinois Governor George Ryan.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Biography

Early life

Ryan was born Lura Lynn Lowe on July 5, 1934, in

Kankakee County school trustee.^[1]^[3] Lowe was raised on a family farm near Aroma Park.^[2]

Lowe met her future husband, George Ryan, while both were students in a freshman English class at Kankakee High School.^[1] Lowe mulled becoming a nurse following high school, but decided against that career path.^[2] She received a degree from the former Moser Business College.^[3]

She married Ryan at the Asbury United Methodist Church in Kankakee, Illinois, on June 10, 1956, after dating for eight years.^[1]^[3] The couple had six children, including one group of triplets.^[1] Their first child, Nancy, was born in 1957; daughter, Lynda, was born in 1961; triplets, Jeanette, Joanne and Julie were born in 1962; and her youngest, George Jr., was born in 1964.^[1] None of her children entered politics.^[2]

Her husband, George, entered politics when he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1972,^[2] with Ryan becoming a political spouse while simultaneously raising six small children.^[2]

First Lady of Illinois

Ryan became the

drug and alcohol abuse, organ donation, historic preservation and the recognition of Abraham Lincoln.^[2]

As First Lady, Ryan became a major

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in 2009.^[4] She served on the commission from 2001 to 2010.^[4]

She supported efforts to restore funding to the Illinois Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse and drug prevention programs.

nonprofit, Prevention First, honored Lura Lynn Ryan's work by naming two research libraries in Springfield and Chicago for her.^[1] Together, the two libraries hold one of the United States' largest collections on substance abuse.^[1]

Ryan collaborated with former Illinois Governor James Thompson to raise $250,000 to acquire 19th Century Amish quilts then housed by the Illinois State Museum.^[2] Ryan traveled with her husband on official international trips to promote Illinois products, including to Cuba, where they met with then President Fidel Castro, and South Africa, where she met Nelson Mandela.^[1]^[3]

Ryan co-authored a book, At Home with Illinois Governors: A Social History of the Illinois Executive Mansion, 1855-2003, with

crafts and other products produced in Illinois.^[3]

Ryan launched several renovations

Lennington Small, Samuel H. Shapiro and her husband, George Ryan.^[3]

Later life

Ryan left her position as First Lady in 2003 at the end of her husband's term in office. Former Governor George Ryan was convicted of corruption in 2006 after a long trial.

clemency from President George W. Bush.^[1]

Lura Lynn Ryan was diagnosed with cancer during her later years.[1] Her husband, George Ryan, was temporarily released from prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, on four occasions between January and June 2011 as his wife's health declined in 2011.^[1] According to doctors, she had begun smoking at a very young age and consumed a pack-a-day until her early 60s. Ryan quit smoking after realizing the toll it took on her health.^[5] She died from complications of cancer and chemotherapy at a hospital in Kankakee, Illinois, on June 27, 2011, with her husband at her side.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s Sclikerman, Becky (2011-06-28). "George Ryan, released from prison, at wife's side when she died". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m McKinney, Dave (1999-01-11). "Lura Lynn Ryan: 'June Cleaver without the pearls'". Joliet Herald News. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Angelo, Phil (2011-06-29). "Lura Lynn Ryan: State's former first lady was 'June Cleaver without the pearls". Daily Journal (Illinois). Archived from the original on 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
^ ^a ^b "About the Commission: Lura Lynn Ryan". Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
^ "Ex-gov. Ryan's wife has 3-6 months to live, attorneys say". Daily Herald. Associated Press. 2010-12-15. Retrieved 2018-09-23.

Honorary titles
Preceded by Brenda Edgar	First Lady of Illinois January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003	Succeeded by Patricia Blagojevich

[ct-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s Sclikerman, Becky (2011-06-28). "George Ryan, released from prison, at wife's side when she died". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-07-15.

[jhn-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m McKinney, Dave (1999-01-11). "Lura Lynn Ryan: 'June Cleaver without the pearls'". Joliet Herald News. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved 2011-07-15.

[dj-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Angelo, Phil (2011-06-29). "Lura Lynn Ryan: State's former first lady was 'June Cleaver without the pearls". Daily Journal (Illinois). Archived from the original on 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2011-07-15.

[lincoln-4] "About the Commission: Lura Lynn Ryan". Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2011-07-15.

[5] "Ex-gov. Ryan's wife has 3-6 months to live, attorneys say". Daily Herald. Associated Press. 2010-12-15. Retrieved 2018-09-23.

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