Here is more information on how Jeri and Fred met, their wedding, children, and more.
News Updates:
Source: Carla Marinucci. "Fred Thompson finally joins the presidential pack." SFGate.com. 9/6/07.
Born:
Jeri Kehn: Some reports have her birth date as in January 1967 and others list September 30, 1966. Jeri was born in Hastings, Nebraska.
How Fred and Jeri Met:
According to USN, "Jeri and Fred met in a Nashville grocery store checkout line on July 4, 1996. Fred, who was in line with a can of beanie weenies, carried her groceries, and she invited him to a party."
Source: Bobbie Kyle. "Ten Things You Didn't Know About Jeri Kehn Thompson." USNews.com. 12/20/2007.
Jeri: "We were serious [that -- 1999] spring, broke up in June, got back together on his birthday in August, and have been together since."
Source: Ian Bishop. "Babe Wife, 40, Boosts Goper, 64." NYPost.com. 6/1/07.
Wedding Date:
Fred's brother Ken Thompson served as best man. Rev. Gregory Schneck-Skiba was the officiant at the wedding.
Jeri and Fred honeymooned in France.
Previous Marriages:
- Sara Elizabeth Lindsey: Married September 12, 1959 (when he was 17 and still in high school) in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. They had three children before divorcing in 1985.
After reviewing public records, Newsweek presumed Jeri was previously married to Bernard T. "Chip" Alvey of Owensboro, Kentucky. Fred Thompson has stated, "Things that you would think could have been checked fairly readily, but things that are clearly erroneous —- like she’s not a lawyer and she’s never been married before."
Source: Bryon York. "Fred Thompson: Criticism of My Wife Should Be Directed at Me." NationalReview.com. 8/6/07.
Children:
- Frederick Dalton (Tony) Thompson Jr: Born April 1960. His mother is Sarah Lindsey Thompson.
- Daniel Thompson: Born April 1965. His mother is Sarah Lindsey Thompson.
- Elizabeth (Betsy) Thompson Panici: Born March 13, 1963. Betsy died at the age of 38 from an accidental prescription drug overdose on January 30, 2002. Her mother is Sarah Lindsey Thompson.
- Hayden Victoria Thompson: Born in October 2003. Her mother is Jeri Kehn Thompson.
- Samuel Thompson: Born in 2007. His mother is Jeri Kehn Thompson.
Occupations, Religion, Residences:
Jeri: Former political and media consultant, former Senate aide.
Religion:
Fred is a member of the Churches of Christ.
Residences:
Nashville, Tennessee and McLean, Virginia.Quotes About the Marriage of Jeri and Fred Thompson:
Source: Bryon York. "Fred Thompson: Criticism of My Wife Should Be Directed at Me." NationalReview.com. 8/6/07.
Susan Saulny, journalist: "Now, with the possible candidacy of Fred D. Thompson, the grandfatherly actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee, whose second wife is almost a quarter-century his junior, comes a less palatable inquiry that is spurring debate in Internet chat rooms, on cable television and on talk radio: Is America ready for a president with a trophy wife?"
Source: Susan Saulny. "Will Her Face Determine His Fortune?" NYTimes.com. 8/8/07.
Vicki Keller. Jeri's mother, at their wedding: "I think he will be a calming influence, and she will be good for him."
Source: Alec MacGillis and John Solomon. "The Rise of Jeri Thompson." WashingtonPost.com. 8/5/07.
Victoria Toensing: "They've been a team since they got married."
Source: Alec MacGillis and John Solomon. "The Rise of Jeri Thompson." WashingtonPost.com. 8/5/07.
