President Gerald Ford passes away

[Nore]

He was a good and decent man. A shame we can't say that about many of today's leaders (both parties).

I always felt sorry for President Ford because the media was really nasty and emphasized the couple of times that he stumbled (as if they are always perfect!). In reality he was one of our most physically fit and athletic presidents.

Rest in Peace, Mr. President, and may his loved ones be comforted.

-----------------

Yes he was a good and decent man.I am a Democrat but he had all my respect,admiration.I feel sad.I always liked Betty Ford also,her honesty plus she was a beautiful First Lady.It took time for him to get things in order but he did.I also felt bad for the remarks~if we had email then I would have asked them ( the press) if they thought they were perfect. He is in Heaven now.Agnew was the one totaly out of line..Goodbye Mr. President.. Luvya.

 

[bradshaw]

Class, honesty, dignity, and humility transcend party lines and it's rare to find a politician that has all those attributes as did Mr. Ford.

Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning President Ford.

You will be greatly missed and remembered with high praise and deep respect.

 

[capps]

The word around Washington from politicians and White House reporters,was that Gerald Ford may not have been the smartest President,but he was by far the nicest.

I have to agree.

 

[montana_16]

I agree with everyone's sentiments that President Ford was a good, decent man. He'll be remembered fondly by most I think, regardless of politics.

I'm glad he had a long life ,but still hate to see him go. Love to his lovely wife also.

 

[concernedperson]

I met Mr. Ford in the early 80's and he was the gentleman that everyone is expressing. RIP. Honor those that step up to the plate.

 

[SueY]

From an non-American, RIP President Ford. One of the best. My sympathy to his family.

 

[dark_shadows]

Thank-you Cheko1 for posting this thread.
I am wondering if anyone knew that in his younger days that he was a model. He was attending college at Yale at the time.
He was here in Vermont and modeled for Look magazine.
On our news wednesday the photos were shown. He was posed in Look Magazine with then girlfriend Phyllis Brown, a model for Cosmopolitan Magazine.
The photos were taken in Stowe and very nice.

news link


Gerald R. Ford's name was Leslie Lynch King Jr. when he was born in 1914.
In 1935, he changed his name to Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Respectfully,
dark_shadows

 

[Tom'sGirl]

My aunt & my cousin will be going to President Ford's Memorial tomorrow at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert. There are some restrictions, most are taking a shuttle.

He was so liked and loved by the Desert area community. He led a very fruitful life.

 

[Dark Knight]

Bush declares January 2 day of mourning for Ford

President George W. Bush has declared that Tuesday will be a day of mourning for former President Gerald Ford, who died this week, a White House spokesman said on Thursday.


Bush's declaration means that federal offices will be closed on that day. After a private funeral in Palm Desert, California, Ford's body is to be flown to Washington and his casket will lie in state this weekend at the Capitol. A service will be held at the National Cathedral on Tuesday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061228/us_nm/ford_mourning_dc&printer=1

 

[ljwf22]

President Ford will be buried about 60 miles north of me in Grand Rapids, Mi. All agree he was a really great, stand-up guy. His museum is really a neat place. My son wants to go up and pay our respects but the traffic, not to mention parking, will be awful. We may, however, just to honor him.

 

[Tom'sGirl]

President Ford will be buried about 60 miles north of me in Grand Rapids, Mi. All agree he was a really great, stand-up guy. His museum is really a neat place. My son wants to go up and pay our respects but the traffic, not to mention parking, will be awful. We may, however, just to honor him.

I don't know if my old aunt held up in the lines today in Palm Desert, she and my cousin were going to board the shuttles to the Memorial out here.

 

[NancyDrew]

Tom'sGirl we were there in Palm Desert too. The lines were not bad at all. We spent more time waiting on the bus than we did in the line itself.

 

[Lynda]

I was just wondering after watching on T.V. the past couple of days, how tall is Betty Ford? I always thought that she was pretty tall and she looked so little?

 

[montana_16]

I don't know how tall Mrs. Ford is, but people do lose height as they age. She's probably up there in age now. I feel so bad for her. It's so obvious how much she loved her husband.

 

[montana_16]

Thank-you Cheko1 for posting this thread.
I am wondering if anyone knew that in his younger days that he was a model. He was attending college at Yale at the time.
He was here in Vermont and modeled for Look magazine.
On our news wednesday the photos were shown. He was posed in Look Magazine with then girlfriend Phyllis Brown, a model for Cosmopolitan Magazine.
The photos were taken in Stowe and very nice.

news link


Gerald R. Ford's name was Leslie Lynch King Jr. when he was born in 1914.
In 1935, he changed his name to Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Respectfully,
dark_shadows

I'm not surprized that he was a model.
I was in my 20's when he was president and thought he was so handsome. I had a crush on him. :blushing:

I have a question if anyone knows. You mentioned his name change. I thought I read some years back that he was adopted.

 

[Marthatex]

I don't know how tall Mrs. Ford is, but people do lose height as they age. She's probably up there in age now. I feel so bad for her. It's so obvious how much she loved her husband.

She was a lovely woman, I truly think of her as a role model.

 

[ljwf22]

I have a question if anyone knows. You mentioned his name change. I thought I read some years back that he was adopted.

He was adopted. From the Washington Post: "Born Leslie Lynch King Jr. on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, the future president was the offspring of a brief, failed marriage between Leslie King, a wealthy Wyoming wool merchant, and Dorothy Gardner King. The Kings divorced the following January, and she returned to her parents' home in Grand Rapids.

Soon thereafter, Dorothy King married Gerald R. Ford, a young paint salesman she had met at an Episcopal church social. He formally adopted her child, who was renamed Gerald R. Ford Jr. The Fords subsequently had three other boys." Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/27/AR2006122700528.html

He went by the name Gerald Ford, Jr. when his mom remarried but I remember reading this past week it wasn't until he was in his early teens that his name was legally changed.

 

[Tom'sGirl]

I was just wondering after watching on T.V. the past couple of days, how tall is Betty Ford? I always thought that she was pretty tall and she looked so little?

Betty Ford was never a tall person as far as I can tell in any photos I have seen of here standing next to another woman. I'll have to ask my aunt as she saw her several times down in Palm Desert at different functions.

She'll be 89 in April and how she endured a week long event such as this is to be commended and I don't know how she did it.

I never knew she had been married prior to Gerald, somehow I must have missed that years ago.

 

[capps]

I have always admired President Ford,he seemed the most down to earth and sincere,I felt his death and funeral was some what squeezed into the news,beccause of the other big news, the deaths of James Brown and Saddam Hussein.I received my Time magazine,and they had only two pages on his passing and history ...when President Reagan passed,half the magazine was about him.

 

[montana_16]

He was adopted. From the Washington Post: "Born Leslie Lynch King Jr. on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, the future president was the offspring of a brief, failed marriage between Leslie King, a wealthy Wyoming wool merchant, and Dorothy Gardner King. The Kings divorced the following January, and she returned to her parents' home in Grand Rapids.

Soon thereafter, Dorothy King married Gerald R. Ford, a young paint salesman she had met at an Episcopal church social. He formally adopted her child, who was renamed Gerald R. Ford Jr. The Fords subsequently had three other boys." Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/27/AR2006122700528.html

He went by the name Gerald Ford, Jr. when his mom remarried but I remember reading this past week it wasn't until he was in his early teens that his name was legally changed.

Thanks for the information ljwf22.