- Date Of Birth: August 7, 1941
- Date Of Death: January 23, 2016
- State: Indiana
Betty Ford, 74, of Elkhart, has fought the good fight and won. On Saturday, Jan. 23, she went home to the loving arms of her Lord and Savior to receive her eternal reward for a life well lived.
Betty is survived by husband Weldon Ford of Elkhart; sons Edward (Pearl) Ford of Elkhart and Randy Ford of Granger; and daughter Angela (Chip) Tompkins of Granger. She also leaves behind a legacy of grandchildren, Amanda (Rudy) Boals of Middlebury, Autumn (Jeremy) Stout of Elkhart, Nicholas (Hilary) Tompkins of Fort Collins, Colo., and Brandon Ford of Elkhart. The next generation of her legacy and her pride and joy were her great-grandchildren, Wyatt Boals, Ava Boals, Camden Stout, Cade Stout and Solomon Tompkins.
Betty was born Aug. 7, 1941, in Selmer, Tenn., to William and Marie Hodge, sharecroppers in southern Tennessee and Missouri. She was the third born of four siblings, of which three have preceded her in death: Faye (Charles) Denbow of Selmer, James Hodge of Tavares, Fla., and Jerry Hodge of Selmer. Sister Theresa (Al) Debow lives in South Bend.
When her family moved from the south to Elkhart to start a new life, Betty met and married the love of her life and the boy next door, Weldon Ford, on July 17, 1956. She said “yes” when he promised her she would never have to pick cotton again! They lived, laughed and loved together for 59 years in the city where they fell in love, Elkhart, where they raised their three children.
Betty worked occasionally through the years as a CNA and a seamstress throughout their marriage, but her heart was in her home and her family. Her greatest passion was the word of God. She studied the Bible and prayed daily for God’s will in her life. She received her minister’s license and spoke evangelistically throughout Indiana and her home states. She also served in her church as a Sunday school teacher and led many a youth group.
Betty’s faith was such an ingrained part of who she was, that even through dementia in her last years of life, she still quoted scripture to her neighbors, friends and family to encourage and inspire. Her hope in Christ never wavered even up to her last breath. She was an inspiration and a light to all who knew her.
The entire family wishes to thank the staff of Eastlake Nursing Home and Rehabilitation, especially those in the Augustus Cottage Alzheimer’s/Dementia wing, for their loving and kind care of our precious loved one. Many thanks also to the hospice staff who made her more comfortable in her last days and reassured the family along the way.
