Helen Milliken, Michigan's longest serving first lady, who was married to one of the state's most popular governors, died this morning at her Traverse City home. She was 89.
The Free Press reported that Milliken lived with her husband William Milliken in retirement in their northern Michigan home.
The Freep wrote:
Helen Milliken is perhaps best remembered as Michigan’s leading proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The ERA, which would have banned discrimination based on sex and authorized Congress to adopt laws enforcing it, came close to passage (it was approved by Congress and 35 of the needed 38 states, including Michigan).
But she was also a leading advocate for the arts and environment, becoming a political force in her own right.
“She kind of set the standard for what it meant to be a First Lady,” said Bill Rustem, a longtime former aide to Gov. Milliken. “She opened the door for first ladies to become activists.”
