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Lady Bird had local ties Date published: 7/13/2007
BY EDIE GROSS
Amid a crowd of 500 pizza-loving Democrats at a home in Spotsylvania, Lady Bird Johnson spotted a young Ron Carter sporting a Dallas Cowboys T-shirt. The former first lady, a Texas native, approached the grade-schooler. "She said, 'You've got the right shirt on,'" Ron's mother, Mary Lee Carter, a former Spotsylvania supervisor, recalled yesterday. "Of course, she took a picture with him." Carter still has the snapshot, taken in 1981 at then-Supervisor Hugh Cosner's home, where Johnson's son-in-law, Chuck Robb, campaigned for governor. "Everyone, of course, wanted to take their picture with her--and they did. She was very receptive to that," Carter said. "I found her to be very gracious." Johnson, who died Wednesday at the age of 94, visited the Fredericksburg region several times during a 30-year period. Those who met her describe her as the quintessential Southern lady with a finely tuned business sense and a penchant for environmental causes. In addition to supporting her husband's political career for more than three decades, Johnson ran a family business that included television, radio and banking interests. Cosner, a businessman and developer, said when Johnson visited his home, the two spoke at length about the sacrifice it takes to be involved in politics and business. Cosner said he had to install Secret Service-approved security at his home, including outside lights, before the 1981 event. But despite her star status, Johnson came across as just a regular person, he said. "She did tell us she liked pizza better than barbecue," recalled Cosner, a Pizza Hut owner who tailored the menu to suit. "I laughed at that." During Garden Week in 1967, while her husband was still president, Johnson arrived unannounced in Fredericksburg to tour several historic sites. At Kenmore, she enjoyed tea and gingerbread in the kitchen with then-Mayor Josiah Rowe, his wife and three daughters. Jeanette Rowe Cadwallender, then about 9, was warned to be on her best behavior. "That was really a big deal for her to come to Fredericksburg and during Garden Week. I wish all the presidents' wives would come for Garden Week," said Cadwallender, who sat next to the first lady. "It's just a neat little memory I have." Edd Houck was a volunteer for the local Democratic committee when he met Johnson at Cosner's party. He said he complimented her on several of her husband's programs, particularly the Civil Rights Act. The passage of the act in 1964, she told him, was one of her husband's proudest moments. Houck said he took plenty of pictures with his new Minolta 35-mm camera, photos that are still tucked away in treasured albums. "She was every bit the fine, Southern lady, just full of energy and full of exuberance," said the state senator from Spotsylvania. "She really put you at ease, no pretense. You talked to her for a minute or so, but she seemed like somebody you'd known forever." Edie Gross: 540/374-5428Email: egross@freelancestar.com
Date published: 7/13/2007
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