Her daughter Candace Wolf said Friday that she died peacefully at 7 a.m. with her children at her bedside, after years of hospital care. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Her husband, J.J. Exon, died in 2005. The Nebraska Democrat served two terms as governor, from 1971 to 1979, then spent three terms representing Nebraska in the U.S Senate, until 1996.
Survivors include Wolf; a son, Steve Exon of Bellevue; daughter Pamela Bricker of Greeley, Colo.; eight grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Wolf said her mother's legacy highlights the need for more Alzheimer's research.