Frances Folsom Cleveland
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Frances Clara Folsom Cleveland Preston (July 21, 1864 - October 29, 1947), was the wife of Grover Cleveland, the President of the United States. She acted as the First Lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889 and 1893 to 1897.
Her birthplace is Buffalo, New York. Her birth name was Frances Clara Folsom. Her parents were Emma C. Harmon and Oscar Folsom. Her father, Oscar later became a law partner of Grover Cleveland. Cleveland was a family friend to the Oscar family. After Oscar’s death, Cleveland looked after the family. He arranged for education of Frances Folsom. She studied at Wells College. Cleveland and Frances Folsom sent letters to each other.
In 1985, Frances Folsom and her mother came to White House to meet Cleveland. Cleveland and Frances Folsom became close to each other though she was about 27 years younger to Cleveland. On 2nd June 1886, they married. This was the first and only couple to wed in the White House. When Frances Folsom became Mrs. Cleveland, she took the role of the First Lady. She gave two receptions every week. She became very popular.
In 1888, Cleveland lost the election. The couple lived in New York City. There their first child Ruth was born. In 1886, Cleveland again became the president. Frances Folsom came back and again became active as the First Lady. In 1893, she bore another child named Esther. In 1895, she bore the third child named Marion. By the time, Cleveland had retired, Frances Folsom had become a very popular First Lady.
The retired to live in Princeton, New Jersey. There she bore two sons. She was by her husband’s side when he died in 1908. In 1913, she again married. Her second husband was Thomas J. Preston, Jr., a professor of archeology. When the-then President and his wife Sarah Childress Polk visited Princeton, New Jersey, they met and welcomed Frances Folsom her husband. They chatted of changes in White House life from past days. Frances Folsom lived until the age of 84, and had become a famous figure in the Princeton University community.