| Birth: | Aug. 15, 1860 | | Death: | Nov. 21, 1924 | 
Presidential First Lady. The wife of President Warren Harding. Eldest child of Amos and Louise (Bouton) Kling, born 1860 in Marion Ohio. her father was one of Marionís most powerful citizens and often carted his young daughter about Marion while conducting business meetings. As a result, she developed her father's keen sense of business, and when coupled with her headstrong personality (again, like her father) turned her into a force to be reckoned with. Married, against her father's will, to childhood friend Henry DeWolfe, she bore her only child, a son. After the marriage ended in divorce, Florence defied convention by refusing to live at home with her parents and admit defeat. Instead she rented rooms for her and her son, and set to work. Her second marriage to Marion Daily Star owner Warren G. Harding, again over her father's very vocal objections, proved more successful. Harding was laid back; Florence his hard driving compliment took charge of the business end of the paper and grew the business by implementing home delivery and aggressively boosting the advertising base. Harding's affable personality and Florence's political sense helped him win local election to the Ohio Senate, then to the US Senate and ultimately to the Presidency of the nation in 1920. As first lady, Florence Harding broke the mold established by previous First Ladies who preferred to stay in the shadows. Having worked in newspapers, she knew reporters and successfully courted the media and quickly became a favorite with the White House press corp. Aware of her husband's infidelities, she turned the other cheek and pressed onward with her role as a very public and visible First Lady of the land. After the President's death in San Francisco in 1923, Florence Harding returned to Marion Ohio, however she stayed with friends and the Sawyer Oak Grove Farm Sanitarium south of Marion, which was run by the President's personal physician. She died in her sleep in 1924 and was buried at first with her husband in the receiving vault in Marion Cemetery, before being relocated to the outdoor tomb built for the Harding's immediately south of the cemetery. (bio by: Stu Koblentz)
Family links:
Parents:
Amos H. Kling (1833 - 1913)
Louisa M. Kling (1835 - 1893)
Spouses:
Warren Gamaliel Harding (1865 - 1923)*
Henry Atherton DeWolfe (1859 - 1894)*
Children:
Marshall Eugene DeWolfe (1880 - 1914)*
*Calculated relationship
Search Amazon for Florence Harding | | | Burial:
Harding Memorial Park
Marion
Marion County
Ohio, USA
GPS (lat/lon): 40.5733, -83.1233 |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Apr 22, 1999
Find A Grave Memorial# 5195 |
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Carolyn from Washington State
Added: May. 11, 2013 |
Music is in our blood, dear Florence! I wish the privilege of hearing you play was mine! "If music be the food of love", indeed!Your service as First Lady is very much appreciated!Thank you
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Ava
Added: Apr. 26, 2013 |
Found you, this spring, in our family tree! You did an outstanding job as First Lady, Duchess! :)Thank you
-Anonymous
Added: Apr. 26, 2013 |
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(4.2 after 106 votes)
