May she rest in peace. That having been said….what kind of name is Lady Bird? Where’d she get that name?

Ok, I had to look it up. Here’s the story:

Of English and Scottish descent, Claudia Alta Taylor was born in Karnack, Texas, at The Brick House, her family’s plantation. During her infancy, a nursemaid commented, “She’s as pretty as a ladybird”, and that nickname virtually replaced her given name for the rest of her life.

By KELLEY SHANNON
Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lady Bird Johnson, the former first lady who championed conservation and worked tenaciously for the political career of her husband, Lyndon B. Johnson, died Wednesday, a family spokeswoman said. She was 94.

Johnson, who suffered a stroke in 2002 that affected her ability to speak, returned home late last month after a week at Seton Medical Center, where she’d been admitted for a low-grade fever.

She died at her Austin home of natural causes about 5:18 p.m. EDT. Elizabeth Christian, the spokeswoman, said she was surrounded by family and friends.

Even after the stroke, Johnson still managed to make occasional public appearances and get outdoors to enjoy her beloved wildflowers. But she was unable to speak more than a few short phrases, and more recently did not speak at all, Anne Wheeler, spokeswoman for the LBJ Library and Museum, said in 2006. She communicated her thoughts and needs by writing, Wheeler said.

More at the AP