Ruth Graham, wife of Billy, dead at 87

MONTREAT, N.C., June 15 (UPI) -- Ruth Bell Graham, the wife of evangelist Billy Graham, has died at her Montreat, N.C., home at the age of 87.

Graham, who had suffered declining health for several years, died Thursday of pneumonia-related complications, the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported Friday. She had asked earlier in the week to be taken off artificial forms of life support, including her feeding tube.

Larry Ross, a spokesman for the family, said Graham died in the company of her husband and their children.

"She was very peaceful ... and simply stopped breathing," he said.

U.S. President George W. Bush phoned Graham's son, Franklin, to say he was praying for the family. The president also released a statement calling Graham "a remarkable woman of faith whose life was defined by her belief in a personal, loving and gracious God ... As the wife of the world's most beloved evangelist, she inspired people around the world with her humor, intelligence, elegance and kindness."

Ruth Graham, who was born June 10, 1920, to U.S. missionaries in China, met Billy Graham while a student at Wheaton College in Illinois. They married Aug. 13, 1943, and had five children. Ruth Graham wrote several books and her role in helping the Billy Graham ministries was noted in 1996 when they were both awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

A public funeral service has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Montreat Conference Center. A family-only burial service will take place Sunday at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C.