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In Death by Lightning, Betty Gilpin gives a knockout performance as First Lady Lucretia “Crete” Garfield. But Crete had an exciting life beyond the events that appear in the four-episode Netflix miniseries. Crete was only first lady from her husband James Garfield’s inauguration in March of 1881 to September of that year, when he died after being shot 80 days earlier . She became devoted to maintaining her husband’s legacy for the rest of her life.

Here’s what you need to know about First Lady Crete Garfield.

Larry Horricks/Netflix © 2025

She met her husband in school.

When Crete was 15, she began attending Geauga Seminary, where Garfield was a classmate. They both continued on to the boarding school Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, where Crete was an enthusiasti

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