Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Betsy Ebeling, Hillary Clinton’s best friend and ‘incredibly wonderful person,’ dies
Chicago Sun Times ^ | 29 July 2019 | Michael Sneed

Posted on 07/29/2019 5:19:03 PM PDT by csvset

Buddy.

Confidant.

Cat herder.

Betsy Ebeling, 73, who was known as Hillary Rodham Clinton’s best friend and first childhood school chum, died Sunday in Arlington Heights after a long battle with breast cancer.

Ebeling and Clinton had a long history together dating back to when they were sixth-graders at Eugene Field School in Park Ridge.

“It’s so sudden because Betsy was always busy gathering Hillary and all of us who had been close — especially her Park Ridge school buddies, which she jokingly likened to herding cats,” said Kathy Burgess, a close friend.

Ebeling was working on getting everyone together for a “slumber party” in Indiana Aug. 9- 11, Burgess said.

“It’s unbelievable. A slumber party which now could turn into a memorial,” said Burgess. “Betsy had been having treatments, but nothing slowed her down. But something hit her a few weeks ago.

“Betsy was always there for all of us, encouraging us, and was with Hillary at her brother Tony’s funeral last month,” said Burgess.

As recently as May, Hillary sat next to Ebeling at a private fundraiser for The Heartland Alliance to aid victims of torture. It was there Ebeling took off her wig “which some of us interpreted as Betsy’s way of honoring those enduring suffering,” said Brian McPartlin, a close friend and former White House advance man during the Clinton administration — and during Hillary’s presidential run.

“If you were to go to the dictionary and look up the word ‘loyal,’ there could no greater example than Betsy Ebeling when it came to her friendship with Hillary Clinton,” he said.

“Betsy was the glue that held all their childhood school friends from Park Ridge together. They ate olive burgers after movies at the Pickwick Theater; they drank Cokes at Boobies; they were together from childhood to teenage years and through college and marriage.”

And when Park Ridge renamed the street where Hillary grew up in Clinton’s honor, “it was Betsy who organized Hillary’s 50th birthday party,” McPartlin said.

Even last week, Ebeling was working to promote Hillary.

“I texted her Wednesday and Betsy was still working on a project to showcase Hillary’s years in Park Ridge,” he said.

Chicago PR giant Rick Jasculca, whose late wife, Judy, had been close to Betsy, said “the hope is that the Park Ridge Historical Society would host (Betsy’s project) as a part of an initiative focused on Park Ridge alums who had gone on to make history.”

He added: “Betsy provided great comfort to my wife, Judy, on her final journey. Betsy was special. Amazing.

“Betsy was an incredibly wonderful person and very loved,” recalled Kevin Conlon, a top Chicago politico.

Ebeling was Clinton’s matron of honor at her wedding to Bill Clinton.

At the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 2016, Ebeling cast the Illinois delegate votes for Hillary Clinton.

”On this historic, wonderful day, in honor of ... my sweet friend — I know you’re watching — this one’s for you, Hill,” Ebeling said in casting the votes.

Back in 1998, the then first lady made a quick trip to comfort Ebeling at the funeral of Ebeling’s mother, Roslyn Johnson.

Sneed attended the funeral and wrote: “Dressed in a black pantsuit, Clinton bent the ear of the throng at the Glueckert Funeral Home when she said, “This lady was not only full of love, but she was the first adult (outside the Rodham family) I encountered that really listened to what I had to say.”

“Clinton said her friend’s mother had a hard time voting Democratic.

”She and my father were both Republicans, and when my husband ran for office, she had to vote in the Democratic primary,” Clinton said. “And she couldn’t get the word Democrat out of her mouth. She kept saying, `I’m voting for the D party.’”

It’s a good bet the city will be seeing Hillary soon.

Bye, Betsy. A truly special lady.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: barfalert; deadagain; ebeling; friend; hillary
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-52 last
To: Captain Peter Blood

Yes , I remember , from the book . But how many best friends named Betsy did Hillary have ? I think it’s the bimbo eruption gal . Doesn’t really matter , Hillary is old news .


41 posted on 07/29/2019 8:01:01 PM PDT by katykelly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: csvset

Tough shit, I guess.


42 posted on 07/29/2019 8:40:10 PM PDT by HIDEK6 ( God bless Donald Trump.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HIDEK6

So?


43 posted on 07/29/2019 9:03:34 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: hal ogen

Fuck her.


44 posted on 07/29/2019 9:41:51 PM PDT by HIDEK6 ( God bless Donald Trump.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: csvset

She looks like Robert Mueller with a wig.


45 posted on 07/29/2019 10:04:07 PM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress (http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/BYTOPICS/tabid/335/Default.aspx D)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: csvset

This might sound like a joke, but one has to wonder if they were in the same coven?


46 posted on 07/29/2019 11:37:10 PM PDT by patriotfury ((May the fleas of a thousand camels occupy mo' ham mads tents!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: katykelly

were you referring to Primary Colors? That was a good book, and then they made a movie.


47 posted on 07/30/2019 3:35:58 AM PDT by ronniesgal (so I wonder what his FR handle is????)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: sport

When was she set to testify?


48 posted on 07/30/2019 5:31:18 AM PDT by jmcenanly ("The more corrupt the state, the more laws." Tacitus, Publius Cornelius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: csvset

See the chick on the right? This is the face of a typical sociopathic liberal who really doesn’t have any emotional attachment to anything so she is pretending.


49 posted on 07/30/2019 5:44:54 AM PDT by Toespi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jmcenanly

Good observation!


50 posted on 07/30/2019 5:48:45 AM PDT by sport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: CJ Wolf

Tony had a lot of knowledge of Hillary’s deals, a/k/a, a lot of dirt on Hillary. Tony caught a case of the Arkansas Flu. And if I was betting, I would bet that Betsy caught a case of the Arkansas Flu.


51 posted on 07/30/2019 5:57:57 AM PDT by sport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: csvset

Well at least she didnt fall on a knife four times.


52 posted on 07/30/2019 8:37:01 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-52 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson