Former first lady Alice King remained hospitalized late Friday after suffering a stroke Thursday at her home in Stanley.

Her son, New Mexico Attorney General Gary King, said the family is "just kind of waiting to see" what the 78-year-old's prognosis will be. "There's not very much information to know," he said. "She had a stroke. It takes a few days to know what's next."

King said family members were with her at an Albuquerque hospital Friday. "We all are hopeful," he said.

A stroke occurs when blood flow is blocked to an area of the brain.

She and former Gov. Bruce King, both Democrats, have remained active in recent years, despite his health problems and her macular degeneration, a condition that causes loss of sight.

The Kings were at the Capitol last week, when the former governor and the attorney general were videotaped for an episode of Report from Santa Fe, a television program hosted by Lorene Mills.

The Kings married in 1947, and Alice King was first lady when her husband was governor for three separate terms in the 1970s, '80s and '90s. Bruce King often joked that voters were getting "two for the price of one" when he campaigned for governor around the state.

The former first lady is known for her work on programs for children and families, and she founded the New Mexico Children's Foundation in 1992. She and her husband founded the Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts in 1974. On top of her duties as first lady, Alice King also is credited with starting the Girls Ranch.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Read her blog, Green Chile Chatter, at www.santafenewmexican.com.