Dee Kessel Caperton | |
|---|---|
 Kessel Caperton in 1987 | |
| First Lady of West Virginia | |
| In role January 16, 1989 – October 23, 1989 | |
| Governor | Gaston Caperton |
| Preceded by | Shelley Riley Moore |
| Succeeded by | Rachael Worby |
| Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from the 23rd district | |
| In office December 1, 1986 – December 1, 1988 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ella Dee Kessel February 26, 1943 Ripley, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 2000 (aged 57) St. Remy, France |
| Spouse | |
| Education | West Virginia University University of Pittsburgh |
| Known for | Miss West Virginia, First lady of West Virginia, 1989-90 |
Ella Dee Kessel Caperton (February 26, 1943 – September 1, 2000), best known as Dee Kessel Caperton,[1] was an American politician who served as First Lady of West Virginia, served a term in the West Virginia House of Delegates and was once Miss West Virginia. She was the ex-wife of former West Virginia Governor Gaston Caperton and the daughter of former Jackson County Circuit Court Judge and West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Oliver Kessel.[2]
Caperton served a single term in the West Virginia House of Delegates before retiring to help her husband's campaign for governor. She and her husband divorced while he was in office and filed a lawsuit against him over finances. After the divorce was finalized, she ran for West Virginia State Treasurer in 1990 but was defeated in the primary. Afterwards, she moved to France where she ran a hotel until her death from cancer in 2000.
- ^ "House Resolution No. 26". wvlegislature.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-10-25. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ "West Virginia's First Ladies," West Virginia Division of Culture and History, June 2007.