LANGFORD, Edna (Snyder)

Langford, Edna CALHOUN: Edna Langford, part of Carters' extended family By JENNIFER BRETT Edna Langford's interest in politics took her from volunteering on campaigns to nights in the White House and travel on official diplomatic trips. Her most notable political alliance was her close relationship with President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter. Mrs. Langford's daughter Judy was married for years to the Carters' son Jack, and Mrs. Langford remained friends with the Carters throughout her life. "She was very political. She was excited about being involved in her community," said her grandson, Jason Carter of Atlanta, who is also the Carters' grandson. Mrs. Langford died May 29 from complications associated with a stroke. Following her Friday funeral at First Baptist Church in Calhoun, she was buried at Fain Cemetery there. According to a history provided by the family, Mrs. Langford was born in 1923 to Dorotha Wood Snyder and George Ralph Snyder. She earned a degree in physical education in 1944 from Oklahoma College for Women. After World War II, she met James Beverly Langford of Calhoun while he was in town visiting a cousin. They married in August of 1946, moved to Athens, then to Calhoun. She lived there until last year, when she moved to Illinois to live with her daughter. Even as she became frail in her later years, her sense of humor never lost its edge. ""She was hilarious,"" Jason Carter said. ""She talked really softly, but her wit would bite you."" Mrs. Langford was active in politics at the local level, managing volunteer efforts for Carl Sanders' gubernatorial race and Lyndon Johnson's presidential bid before pouring her energy into Jimmy Carter's run for Georgia governor, according to the family. It was during that race that Mrs. Langford became close friends with the Carters. During the Carter governors administration, she traveled with Mrs. Carter to Brazil and England as part of the early days of the Friendship Force. She traveled again with Mrs. Carter during the presidential campaign, later capturing their adventures in the book "Rosalynn, Friend and First Lady," co-authored with Linda Maddox. During the presidential term, Mrs. Langford was a regular overnight guest at the White House, attended diplomatic functions and state dinners, and traveled to various countries with Mrs. Carter, according to family history. Back home in Calhoun, Mrs. Langford taught swimming for more than 20 years and fought to desegregate the public pools in the early 1960s. The Edna S. Langford Swim Center was built in her honor in 1974. She volunteered with the Red Cross and started businesses in Atlanta and Calhoun. "She was her own person more than anyone I've ever known," said Jason Carter. Mrs. Langford is survived by her three children, Judy Langford of Evanston, Ill.; Jim Langford of Calhoun; and Lucie Canfield of Atlanta; her sister, Carol Boulukus of Cambridge, Mass.; her brother, Dr. Ralph W. Snyder of Sarasota, Fla; grandchildren, a niece, nephews, and several great-nieces and nephews. ? 2007 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.