Lura Lynn Keeps the Faith

Lura Lynn Ryan says she refuses to cry

The wife of former Governor George Ryan is spending another Christmas without her husband of 54 years.

"I told him I needed him to come home and help me clean up, but I guess he won't be home for Christmas now," Lura Lynn Ryan told Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed.

"And he doesn't  want us visiting him at the prison at Christmas --- he wants all of our six kids to be home with their children." 

Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer rejected George Ryan's plea for an early release Tuesday.

His attorneys made a two-prong argument.  They argued the Supreme Court's narrowing definition of the "Honest Services" law made it void towards their client's convictions on racketeering, fraud and other charges, and Ryan needs to care for his terminally-ill wife.

Pallmeyer wrote in her opinion, "Mr. Ryan, like other convicted persons, undoubtedly wishes it were otherwise. His conduct has exacted a stiff penalty not only for himself but also for his family." 

Mrs. Ryan is refusing to cry over the situation.

"It's the way George and I have always handled things," she said. "I just have to believe he will come home." 

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