Mrs. King, 78, suffered a stroke and a mild heart attack last August. As part of her rehabilitation, she was receiving further medical treatment at Hospital Santa Monica, a holistic health center, when she died, her sister Edythe Scott Bagley told my mother.
President Bush and the first lady were "deeply saddened" to hear about Mrs. King's death, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters Tuesday.
"Mrs. King was a remarkable and courageous woman and a great civil rights leader," the president said in a statement.
"Laura and I were fortunate to have known Mrs. King, and we will always treasure the time we spent with her," Bush said. "We send our condolences and prayers to the entire King family."
"This is a very sad hour," U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia, told CNN on Tuesday.
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