President Kennedy, with his wife Jackie Kennedy, and the Connallys in the Presidential limousine shortly before the assassination

Idanell Brill "Nellie" Connally (24 February 1919 – 1 September 2006) was the First Lady of Texas from 1963 to 1969. Born in Austin, Texas, she was married to John Connally, who served as Governor of Texas and later as Secretary of the Treasury. She was the last surviving occupant of the presidential limousine that carried John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on 22 November 1963. Image File history File links JFKmotorcade. ... Image File history File links JFKmotorcade. ... First official White House portrait. ... The 2006 Cadillac Presidential Limousine is a hand-crafted and armored version of the Cadillac DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan) stretch sedan for the President of the United States. ... Assassination is the deliberate killing of an important person, usually a political figure or other strategically important individual. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... First Lady is an unofficial term that is sometimes applied to the female spouse of a male head of state or head of government. ... Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Flag Seal Nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Location Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Government County Travis County Mayor Will Wynn Geographical characteristics Area 669. ... John Connally, Governor of Texas, Secretary of the Treasury Connallys signature, as used on American currency President Kennedy, with his wife Jackie Kennedy, and Connally in the Presidential limousine shortly before the assassination. ... In politics, Governor of Texas is the title given to the chief executive of the state of Texas. ... John W. Snow, the current Secretary of the Treasury. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... President Kennedy, with his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Texas Governor John Connally in the Presidential limousine shortly before the assassination. ... ·· Flag Seal Nickname: Big D Location Location in the state of Texas Government Counties Dallas County Collin County Denton County Kaufman County Rockwall County Mayor Laura Miller Geographical characteristics Area 997. ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ...

Nellie Connally and Jackie Kennedy on left side of the Presidential limousine

While riding in the car with President Kennedy, she told him, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you." Almost immediately, she heard the first of what she later concluded were three gunshots in quick succession. Image File history File links NellieConnallyMotorcade. ... Image File history File links NellieConnallyMotorcade. ... First official White House portrait. ...

The President and her husband were shot, resulting in fatal wounds to the President and serious wounds to John Connally. Connally slumped after the second shot, and Mrs. Connally got down in the car to take care of her husband. "I never looked back again. I was just trying to take care of him", she said.

Connally had said the most enduring image she had of the assassination in Dallas was of a mixture of blood and roses.

"It's the image of yellow roses and red roses and blood all over the car ... all over us", she said in a 2003 interview with The Associated Press. "I'll never forget it. ... It was so quick and so short, so potent."

Anniversaries and inevitable media interviews followed the Connallys for decades to come. In 2003, Connally shared her personal diary of the event in her book From Love Field—Our Final Hours with John F. Kennedy.

She was also an active fundraiser for many charities. In 1989, Richard Nixon, Barbara Walters and Donald Trump turned out for a gala to honor her and raise money for diabetes research. Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Barbara Ann Walters (born September 25, 1929 (see)) is an American media personality (early 60s to present) first known as a popular TV morning news anchor for over 10 years on NBCs Today show, where she worked well with anchors Hugh Downs and Frank McGee. ... Donald John Trump, Sr. ...

"I've never known a woman with Nellie's courage, compassion and character," Walters said. "For all her ups and downs, I've never heard a self-pitying word from her." The "downs" that Walters spoke of were financial difficulties.

Private business ventures after 1980 were less successful than John Connally's career as a politician and dealmaking Houston lawyer. An oil company in which he invested got into trouble, and $200 million worth of real estate projects went sour. He filed for reorganization of his personal finances under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code and for liquidation, under Chapter 7, of the Barnes/Connally Partnership, the Austin-based real estate venture that he founded with former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes. The auction paid only a fraction of the $93 million in debts Connally listed with the bankruptcy court in Austin. Ben Barnes (born April 17, 1938) is an American lobbyist and former Lieutenant Governor of Texas. ...

Nellie Connally celebrated her 80th birthday with fellow breast cancer survivors at a ceremony in the Nellie B. Connally Breast Center at Anderson hospital in Houston. It had been 10 years since overcoming breast cancer. Breast cancer is cancer of breast tissue. ...

She served on the M.D. Anderson Board of Visitors since 1984, and a fund in her name raised millions for research and patient programs.

Survivors include her daughter, Sharon Connally Ammann, and two sons, John B. Connally III and Mark Connally.

She died unexpectedly at age 87 in Austin, Texas. Flag Seal Nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Location Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Government County Travis County Mayor Will Wynn Geographical characteristics Area 669. ...

References

• Citation: "Woman in JFK Limo During Shootings Dies" By KELLEY SHANNON (Associated Press Writer), from Associated Press, September 02, 2006
• "From Love Field--Our Final Hours with John F. Kennedy", Rugged Land Books, 2003.

Associated Press logo The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ...

External links

• InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: Nelley Connally (TV Interview with Nellie Connally)