Wife of former Sen. McGovern dies at 85

Eleanor McGovern suffered heart problems for years

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updated 10:54 a.m. ET Jan. 25, 2007

MITCHELL, S.D. - Eleanor McGovern, the wife of former Sen. George McGovern, has died at the family's home in Mitchell, according to a Mitchell funeral home. She was 85.

Eleanor McGovern has suffered heart problems for five years and underwent bypass surgery last year. She had been under hospice care at the couple's Montana home, the former senator has said.

Visitation is planned for Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Mitchell, said Michelle Bittner, owner of Bittner Funeral Chapel. The funeral service is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Methodist church.

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George McGovern, a former congressman and senator, was a leading opponent of the war in Vietnam. He was the Democratic nominee for president in 1972, losing to Richard Nixon.