Bethine Clark Church
| Bethine Clark Church | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Jean Bethine Clark February 19, 1923 Mackay, Idaho |
| Died | December 21, 2013 (aged 90) Boise, Idaho |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
University of Michigan, B.A., 1945 Boise Junior College (1941–1942) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Frank Church (m. 1947–1984, his death) |
| Children |
Frank Forrester Church IV (1948–2009) Chase Clark Church (b. 1957) |
| Parent(s) |
Chase Clark (1883–1966) Jean Elizabeth Burnett Clark (1887–1984) |
Jean Bethine Clark Church (February 19, 1923 – December 21, 2013), was the spouse of U.S. Senator Frank Church of Idaho. As politically active as her husband, she earned the nickname of "Idaho's third senator."
Born in Mackay, Idaho, to Jean Elizabeth Burnett and Chase A. Clark, Bethine Clark's family was prominent in Idaho politics during the first half of the 20th century. Her grandfather Joseph was elected the first mayor of Idaho Falls in 1900.
Chase Clark and Bethine's uncle, Barzilla Clark, both served as mayor of Idaho Falls and were both elected Governor of Idaho for a two-year term, Chase Clark serving from 1941 to 1943. After losing his 1942 reelection bid, Chase Clark was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Her cousin D. Worth Clark represented Idaho in Washington as a member of the U.S. House and later the U.S. Senate.
While attending Idaho Falls High School, Clark participated in the debate club and student government. After her father was elected governor during her senior year, the family moved to Boise. While attending Boise High School, Bethine met junior Frank Church and they became close friends. After graduation in 1941, she attended Boise Junior College (now Boise State University) for a year, and was elected freshman class vice president. Frank Church graduated from Boise High in 1942 and enrolled at Stanford University in California; Clark transferred to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, "her father's alma mater," and graduated in 1945 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology.
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