Posted on 03/16/2005 10:22:15 AM PST by Borges
NEW YORK - Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Cronkite, the wife of former CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite, has died, the newsman's assistant said Wednesday. She was 89.
She died of complications of cancer Tuesday night at the couple's Manhattan apartment, said the assistant, Julie Sukman.
Walter Cronkite met his future wife, born Mary Elizabeth Maxwell, while they were both working at radio station KCMO in Kansas City, Mo. They married in 1940, and shortly afterward she became women's editor of the Kansas City Journal-Post.
While her husband was overseas reporting for United Press during much of World War II, she worked for Hallmark, publishing a company newspaper that also was distributed to members of the armed forces, Sukman said.
At the end of the war, she joined her husband in Brussels, Belgium, and later accompanied him to Moscow, where he worked for two years as chief correspondent for UP. The couple eventually moved to New York. He joined CBS in 1950.
In his 1996 biography, "A Reporter's Life," Cronkite wrote: "I attribute the longevity of our marriage to Betsy's extraordinary keen sense of humor, which saw us over many bumps (mostly of my making), and her tolerance, even support, for the uncertain schedule and wanderings of a newsman."
She is survived by two daughters, Nancy and Kathy, a son, Walter III, and four grandsons.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete on Wednesday morning.
My heartfelt condolences to Mr. Cronkite. May the Lord help you through your time of grief
Prayers for Mr. Cronkite and his family.
"to Moscow, where he worked for two years as chief correspondent for UP."
ah so that is probably what happened to him. Wonder if Dannyboy had to go there too. perhaps CBS only hires folks who graduate from Moscow U or something
that being said poor guy must be lonely now to stay married that long and have a spouse pass away is never easy. God BLess them
Almost all newspapers used to have "Womens' Sections," usually on Wed or Thu to coincide with the grocery coupons.
No matter what sex I was, I would change my name.
FRegards,
I'm sorry for his loss.
I feel sorry for his loss but I still despise the Sob and I hope he feels as sorry for the 15 to 20 thousand lives I hold him accountable for during the VN War.
May she rest in peace.
Dittos on that.
No its because he did the same thing the MSM did during the Iraq war. They, especially him showed nothing but the so called bad stuff the US Military did. You never saw the atrocities by the VC ARVN. He implied that we lost every battle in fact we never lost one. In fact during Tet we destroyeed the VC as a fighting force, I think we lost 6500 men but they lost 90 to 100 thousand.Go back and read some of the history of this prick. He finally adimitted I think last year the he was and always has been totally antiwar and anti US and a socialist at heart. My hatred this bastard runs deep And fonda.
That's a tough blow.
When the Tet Offensive occurred, the facts on the ground were that the VC had gambled everything on an all-out surprise assault on the South. Within a day it became clear that the VC attack would be completely repulsed, which it was, with the VC losing territory it controlled, gaining no new territory and losing thousands of fighting men in the process.
Walter Cronkite, fully cognizant of what a dire setback this was for the Communists, went on TV and reported his slanted version of the facts along with a comment that "the war is now unwinnable."
He knew that he was solemnly telling a bald-faced lie to his audience, a lie that would help America's enemies.
His statements lent a ton of legitimacy to the anti-war protestors, strengthened the hand of the appeasers and cowards in the Johnson administration and were a catalyst for the implementation of policies that led to the deaths of thousands of American servicemen.
Walter Cronkite is a traitor.
Sure was & is.
Thanks for the info. Some things never change.
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.