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Home > 2007 > June (Web-only) Christianity Today, June (Web-only), 2007 |

Ruth Graham Dies at 87

Billy Graham's wife of nearly 64 years was a distinguished communicator of God's power and peace in her own right.

Marshall Shelley | posted 6/14/2007 06:02PM

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Ruth was known for being a woman of grace but also of outspoken forthrightness and wit.

When asked if she and her husband always agreed on everything, she said, "My goodness, no! If we did, there would be no need for one of us!"

When Ruth answered the phone one day, the caller asked, "Is Billy handy?" She retorted, "Not very. But he keeps trying."

In 1952, Billy briefly entertained the possibility of running for President. Ruth quickly quashed that notion by calling him to say: "I don't think the American people would vote for a divorced president, and if you leave ministry for politics, you will certainly have a divorce on your hands."

Billy once described the secret of their more than 60-year marriage: "Ruth and I are happily incompatible."

Perhaps the best assessment of her contributions, however, came from the late T. W. Wilson, a boyhood friend of Billy's who became a trusted member of his evangelistic team.

"There would have been no Billy Graham as we know him today had it not been for Ruth," he said. "They have been a great team."

Related Elsewhere:

Christianity Today also published an RNS obituary for Ruth Graham on June 14, 2007.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has a memorial site for Ruth. The press release above is from A. Larry Ross and Associates, Billy's longtime personal publicist and spokesman, has photos, video, and more information.

CT Liveblog coverage includes:

Ruth Graham's epitaph

Kay Warren on Ruth Graham | "I have admired her all my life"

Ruth's children remember their mom | "For her, self-sacrifice was a way of life."

A mother lode | "You might say 'What's so wonderful about God saving the daughter of missionaries? They're good already.' Don't you be fooled."

President Bush on Ruth Graham | President recognizes "a remarkable woman of faith whose life was defined by her belief in a personal, loving, and gracious God."

Public invited to Ruth Graham funeral in Montreat | Internment at Charlotte library will be private.

Ruth Graham and Richard Nixon | Remembering a personal -- and public message.

Official Ruth Graham sites and newspaper obits | Where to find mainstream media coverage -- and where the media is getting some of its information.

One mother writing about another | Frederica Mathewes-Green on Ruth: "She often told her children, 'There comes a time to stop submitting and start outwitting.'"

Anne Graham Lotz on her mother's death | "She taught me by her example that Jesus is everything."

Other articles by and about Ruth Graham include:

Putting Pressure in Its Place | Ruth Bell Graham on the purpose of stress. (May 8, 1981)

Afraid of the Right Things | One fear puts all others in proper perspective. (March 4, 1983)

Moved into the Presence of God | Ruth Graham tells what book has influenced her the most. (September 2, 1983)

A Living Birthday Letter | Ruth Graham's life is a letter crafted especially for people like me who dread the thought of growing old. (Wendy Murray Zoba, June 12, 2000)

What Ruth Graham Taught Me About Prayer | A powerful way to make God's words your own. (Today's Christian, July/August 1999)

RuthBellGraham.com expired in 2005 and is now a cybersquatter's site, but its content is still available at the Internet Archive.

The Billy Graham Center Archives in Wheaton, Illinois, (not to be confused with the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C.) has wonderful photos, recordings, and documents.

Obituaries on Ruth Bell Graham include those from the Associated Press, Asheville Citizen-Times, Charlotte Observer, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, News14 Charlotte, and other sources.

Ruth Graham wrote "To Hear Your Voice," "Powerful Prayer," and other columns for Decision magazine, a publication of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Patricia Conwell's biography of Ruth Graham, Ruth, A Portrait, is available from ChristianBook.com and other retailers.

Walter Cronkite narrated a Public Radio International special on Ruth Graham. Interviews with family members and friends and photos are available on the program's website.

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June (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51

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Displaying 1 - 3 of 9 comments. See all comments

David Jerry Posted: June 28, 2007 12:00 AM

Ruth Graham was an excellent woman. God bless her soul from Indonesia. David Jerry

Chris Y Posted: June 19, 2007 11:04 PM

My condolenses to Mrs. Ruth Graham's family and loved ones. She was an incredible woman of faith. A wife with such strong faith that has fueled her husband's own faith and ministry. God has blessed us with a great woman of faith. She was a great teacher, a great role model for all, and a great Christ-like person. She embodied the character of Christ and that is an awesome legacy that she left the world with. Thank you Ruth Graham for your life, love, and faith. You are home and with Our Father.

Alan Viewbank Posted: June 15, 2007 7:39 PM

Only God knows what enormous influence for good flowed from Ruth to Dr. Billy. A couple, divinely matched, to achieve the ultimate in 'partnership', both in a marriage and a ministry. Truly, "behind every good man, stands a good woman." With Christ, which is (even) far better!