Husband: Rufus Downing Ford

Page _____of _____

Birth: 07 AUG 1839 Marriage: 10 SEP 1863 Death: 07 Aug 1914 Buried: 11AUG 1914

Place: Youngsburg, Chester City, Pa. Place: Chester, Pa. Place: 235 Chestnut St., Coatesville, Chester Co., PA. Place: Fairview Cemetery, Coatesville, PA.

Father: Thomas Worth Ford

Mother: Rachel (Griffith)

Wife: Lousia Trueman

Maiden Name: Valentine

Birth: 30 NOV 1845 Marriage: 10 SEP 1863 Death: Mar 1913 Buried:

Place: Chester, Pa. Place: Chester, Pa. Place: Coatesville,Chester Co., PA.  Place:

Father: (?)

Mother: (?)

Family Ancestry Notes: Civil War diary of Rufus is in the Chester County Historical  Society's library, West Chester, Chester County, PA. Village Record, 15 Sept 1863: "On Sept. 10th, by Rev. D. W. Hunter, MR. RUFUS D. FORD and MISS LOUISA T. VALENTINE, all of Coatesville, Chester county, Pa." Served in Company F, 2nd Pa. V. H. A.  Was granted a pension on   February 13, 1901. Daily Local, August 8, 1914:    "RUFUS D. FORD.  At his home, 235 Chestnut street, Coatesville, last night, at 10.30, Rufus D. Ford, aged 75 years, one of the town's   foremost citizens and business men, died on his birthday, following  an illness of some time.  About two years ago Mr. Ford suffered a  stroke of paralysis and from that time he began to fail in health.    The deceased was born August 7, 1839, in Youngsburg, this county. In 1847 he came to Coatesville with his father, Thomas Ford, and  engaged in business, and ever since had been one of the leading  funeral directors of the county, of late years his son, H. C. Ford,  looking after the active duties.    Rufus D. Ford married Louise [sic] P. Valentine, Coatesville, who has been deceased a year last March.  He is survived by three  daughters, Estella, wife of Harry T. Smith, Harrisburg; Myrtle G., Pearl O., wife of Charles Pierson; Herbert C. and O. C., Coatesville;  and one sister, Mrs. Margaret McConnell, Philadelphia, and one  brother, James Ford, Coatesville.    Mr. Ford was a member of the First Baptist Church, Goddard Lodge, 383, F. & A. M., and the Chester County Funeral Directors'  Association.  He was a man of pleasing disposition, was independent, politically, and had a host of friends." There are still quite a few Fords in Coatesville; we never really knew of them, though. The Ford line came from my father's mother, and  most of her family was gone by the time I was growing up.  I do have some family lore about Rufus, though: my father talked about "Grappy"  Ford, which was not his grandfather (my father's grandfather was Herbert Clifford ("H. C.") Ford), but, we deduced together, must have been Rufus.  Rufus was known as "the strong man of the county" and  could lift a wagon filled with stone - not over his head or anything, but by being able to lift a loaded wagon from the front of it, if you  know what I mean. Rufus' father was a cabinetmaker; at the time, most cabinetmakers also made coffins, which is how a lot of cabinetmakers became  undertakers.  Undertaking was the Ford family business, and the Ford Funeral Home in Coatesville was quite prominent. Rufus' son, Herbert C., was also the county coroner for some time and got quite a write-up for his obituary. I think some of the names and relationships may be wrong. Information given by "Sara MacDonald" -- vze29dwy@verizon.net

M/F	Name of Children (in order of birth)	Name of Spouse
M	Child's Name: John D. Ford Birth: 06 APR 1865 Place: Coatesville, Chester, Pa. Marriage:  Place: Death: 04 APR 1866 Place: Coatesville, Chester, Pa. Buried:Place:	Spouse's Name:  Birth:  Place: Maiden Name: Death: Place: Buried:Place:
F	Child's Name: Estella Virgina Ford Birth: 24 FEB 1870 Place: Coatesville, Chester, Pa. Marriage: 16 NOV 1893 Place: Death:          Place: Buried:Place:	Spouse's Name: Harry Theodore Smith Birth: ABT:1866 Place: Coatesville, Chester Co., PA. Maiden Name: Death:          Place: Buried:Place:
M	Child's Name: Roland/Rowland Fleming Ford Birth: 03 JUN 1873 Place: Coatesville, Chester, Pa. Marriage:          Place: Death: 1873 Place: Coatesville, Chester, Pa. Buried:Place:	Spouse's Name:  Birth:          Place: Maiden Name: Death:          Place: Buried:Place:
M	Child's Name: Herbert Clifford Ford Birth: 10 JUN 1875 Place: Coatesville, Chester, Pa. Marriage: 1st 26 DEC 1892, 2nd 12 OCT 1917 Place: 1st Camden, NJ, 2nd New York City, NY Death: 22 MAY 1935 Place:231 E. Chestnut St., Coatesville, Chester Co., PA Buried: 25 MAY 1035 Place: Fairview Cemetery, Coatesville, Chester Co., PA	Spouse's Name: 1st Sarah "Sallie" [M.} Wanora, 2nd Clara Birth: 1st 10 MAY 1875, 2nd 18 APR 1894 Place: 1st Valley Twp., Chester City, PA., 2nd (?) PA Maiden Name: 1st Heffner, 2nd Eachus Death: 1st 24 APR 1910, 2nd 23 JAN 1989 Place: 1st Coatesville, Chester Co., PA, 2nd (?) PA Buried: 1st 27 APR 1910, 2nd (?) Place: Both Fairview Cemetery, Coatesville, Chester Co., PA
F	Child's Name: Myrtle Genesere Ford Birth:25 APR 1878 Place: Coatesville, Chester, Pa. Marriage:          Place: Death:          Place: Buried:          Place:	Spouse's Name: Birth:          Place: Maiden Name: Death:          Place: Buried:          Place:
F	Child's Name: Bessie Lillian Ford Birth:26 NOV 1879 Place: Coatesville, Chester, Pa. Marriage:          Place: Death:          Place: Buried:          Place:	Spouse's Name: Birth:          Place: Maiden Name: Death:          Place: Buried:          Place:
M	Child's Name: Orian Creson Ford Birth: 31 JUL 1881 Place: Coatesville, Chester, Pa. Marriage:          Place: Death:          Place: Buried:          Place:	Spouse's Name: Birth:          Place: Maiden Name: Death:          Place: Buried:          Place:
F	Child's Name: Pearl (A./Onetta/Orsetta) Ford Birth: 28 DEC 1884 Place: Coatesville, Chester, Pa. Marriage:          Place: Death:          Place: Buried:          Place:	Spouse's Name: Charles Pierson Birth:          Place: Maiden Name: Death:          Place: Buried:          Place:
	Child's Name: Birth:          Place: Marriage:          Place: Death:          Place: Buried:          Place:	Spouse's Name: Birth:          Place: Maiden Name: Death:          Place: Buried:          Place: