Posted Thursday, June 14, 2007
The story of Ruth and the Rev. Billy Graham began at Wheaton College - the two fell in love reading tombstone epitaphs in a nearby countryside graveyard.
Friends of the Grahams now say they wouldn't be surprised if the couple both soon leave this world as the 86-year-old Ruth lapsed into a coma Wednesday.
And Billy Graham himself seemed to acknowledge that when he said: "Ruth is my soul mate and best friend, and I cannot imagine living a single day without her by my side."
Ruth, 86, has degenerative osteoarthritis of the back and neck and has been bedridden at their home in western North Carolina.
The 88-year-old preacher and adviser to presidents has been in frail health for years, suffering from fluid on the brain, prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease.
Ruth Graham AP Photo
Harold Myra and Marshall Shelley co-authored "The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham," but they came to know the couple long before. Myra is the retired CEO of Carol Stream-based Christianity Today, a publication Billy Graham founded. Shelley is the editorial vice president.
Both men recalled Ruth Graham as a "spunky," strong-willed woman who never feared telling her husband exactly what she thought. Indeed, Myra recalled in a recent article that the door to the bedridden Ruth Graham's room bears a sign reading, "Nobody knows the trouble I've been."
Shelley said Ruth is the grounding force behind her husband - raising their family on her own much of the time and acting as a counselor for her famous husband.
Myra has personal experience with Ruth Graham's strong will.
"One time she called me about an article that we'd run in the magazine and she started by saying, 'Harold, how could this happen!'" Myra said. "She wasn't intruding, but she wanted us to know her thoughts."
He declined to say what the article was about.
But then there was the time just a couple of years ago when Myra's Wheaton home burned down. Ruth Graham was one of the first to reach out to him with a $100 donation to the rebuilding effort, and a copy of one of her books to begin piecing his personal library back together.
"It was her tremendous concern for the downtrodden, the weak and those who have had trouble," Myra said. "Even when Jim Baker was going through prison and all that, when he was released, she reached out to him and gave him hope for the future."
Myra and Shelley said the days of both Ruth and Billy Graham may be numbered. Both have been in ill health in recent years, and both recently lost siblings.
"Her death would obviously be a very powerful loss," Myra said. "He's been ready to step into glory for a while now. If she dies, she would be there, and I think he's ready to go."
Shelley said Ruth Graham's death would cause the Rev. Graham to grieve, but it would be lessened by the hope of her leaving to be in the presence of Jesus Christ.
"Billy has indicated that he has been ready to meet his maker on any occasion," Shelley said. "He is not afraid to die."
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