Longtime Tennessee lawmaker Lois DeBerry dies at 68

Tennessee Rep. Lois DeBerry. PHOTO/AP

Tennessee Rep. Lois DeBerry, one of the longest-serving women lawmakers in the United States and a powerful influence in state politics, died Sunday after a nearly five-year bout with pancreatic cancer. She was 68.

Ms. DeBerry, was surrounded by family and friends when she died at a Memphis hospital, her nephew, Gary DeBerry, told The Associated Press.

First elected in 1972, DeBerry was the longest-serving member of the state House of Representatives. Nationwide, only two other female lawmakers elected in 1972 are still serving, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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