The Iron Lady

Dear Editor,

Who was raised in an apartment above her family's grocery store in Lincolnshire County, England?

Answer: Margaret (Roberts) Thatcher, prime minister of England, (1979-1990).

Born Oct. 13, 1925, she dies ag age 87 on April 8, 2013. Her daughter, Carol, said she had a stroke.

Great Britain, the U.S. and the rest of the world have benefited from her leadership. Before moving into 10 Downing Street, she was a research chemist. She was secretary of state for education and science in 1970.

In 1951, she married Denis Thatcher, a very successful businessman. Their twins, mark and Carol, were born in 1953. She was a devoted mother.

Recently, Time Magazine featured a story about her and her friendship with Ronald Reagan. It included a picture of her, Reagan and his dock, Lucky, walking on the White House lawn. They achieved many goals nationally.

Generally, President Reagan and Mrs. Thatcher agreed on most issues worldwide. An exception to this was the Falkland Islands crisis. In April 1982, 255 British soldiers were killed when Argentina fought England for control of them. She said he failed to be fully supportive when the United Nations Security Council met.

Russia was determined to dominate the world. Prime Minister Thatcher and President Reagan both worked on that problem. She said "The Russians put guns before butter, while we put just about everything before guns."

Krasnaya Svezda (The Red Star) a Russian newspaper, referred to her as the Iron Lady.

During her time in office, England faced serious economic problems and massive unemployment. Mrs. Thatcher instituted a plan to cut back on spending. She set an example of frugality. She even paid for her own ironing board. Her economic policy influenced financial experts and benefitted the common people.

In February 2007, she was honored with a statue that was erected in the Houses of Parliament. She had her own style and personal ethics. Some people referred to this as "Thatcherism."

Her law degree gave her knowledge. Also, she had great understanding of today's dilemmas.

In 1998, Margaret Thatcher received the Reagan Freedom Award.

Helen Ruth Arnold,

Trenton, Nebraska