Hillary Rodham Clinton, the first woman in U.S. history to become the presidential nominee of a major party, will be in town Saturday to honor the memory of Betsy Ebeling, the extraordinary lady known as Hillary’s best friend.
Sneed is told private invitations to a memorial service for Ebeling, minus the actual time and location, were dispatched to her many friends and admirers Monday — who were asked to keep the information secret.
Ebeling, Hillary’s first childhood school chum when they lived in Park Ridge, died July 29 at the age of 72.
“Betsy had lovingly woven her life around Hillary and their bevy of female childhood friends, who ironically were planning to have a slumber party at Ebeling’s summer home this weekend,” said a close friend of Ebeling.
“It will now be the date of her memorial service,” he said.
Former President Bill Clinton is also expected to attend along with their daughter, Chelsea, who gave birth to her third child, Jasper, on July 22.
“Their kids were really close,” the source said of Chelsea and Ebeling’s children.
Also expected to attend are former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and first lady M.K. Pritzker, Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Ebeling was Clinton’s matron of honor at her wedding to Bill Clinton.
At the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 2016, Ebeling cast the Illinois delegate votes for Hillary Clinton.
