Pride Shows As Tears Flow
By Marisol Bello, Suzette Hackney and Zachary Gorchow, Detroit Free Press
Jan. 4–As the sun set on the gently rolling Grand River, President Gerald R. Ford’s flag-draped casket was carried to his final resting place on a hill behind his presidential museum. The climax to two days of celebration of the president’s life in his hometown left many in tears. Thousands followed the casket, snapping pictures, taking video or simply watching. Some stood atop roofs or crowded bridges over the river. They didn’t want to let go of their former congressman. As “God Bless America” played, the city was eerily quiet. The emotion of the 21-gun salute caused many to cry. Cannon smoke swirled and F15 Eagles roared overhead. Many wept in the final moments, which included Vice President Dick Cheney presenting Betty Ford with the flag from her husband’s casket and her clutching the folded flag to her chest. “We prayed for her at the supper table last night, just saying ‘Lord, please give her the strength to get through this, and go back home and not get ill,’ ” said Donna Bradell, 53, a Hudsonville resident.
THE FUNERAL: Speakers recall how Ford helped heal U.S.
The funeral at Grace Episcopal Church had a strong emphasis on Ford’s efforts to move the nation past the Watergate scandal with a wildly unpopular pardon of Nixon, a move that has since won praise.
“If we … do not know how to find the way of reconciliation, we simply have to follow the way of Gerald R. Ford,” said Robert Certain, the Fords’ pastor in Palm Desert, Calif., where they lived in retirement.
Former President Jimmy Carter, who defeated Ford in 1976, twice recalled his first words as president.
“For myself and for our nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land,” he said.
When he closed his eulogy by repeating the line, he had to pause as his feelings briefly overwhelmed him.
Richard Norton Smith, a historian and former director of Ford’s presidential museum, said Ford’s unvarnished approach was part of his appeal.
“If he never mastered the art of the sound bite, it is also true that he never relied solely on the advice of consultants,” Smith said.
Among those at the invitation-only service were Cheney and his wife, Lynne, golfer Jack Nicklaus, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, Meijer chairman Fred Meijer, Amway cofounder Rich DeVos, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and her husband, Dan Mulhern, and U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow.
THE FAMILY: A son takes time to mingle
The last six days of services for Ford finally caught up with Jane Gietzen of Grand Rapids when she stopped in front of the flag-draped casket.
As she walked out, Ford’s eldest son, Michael, shook her hand, hugged her and thanked her. Gietzen broke down in tears.
“I thought ‘This is somebody’s dad,’ ” said Gietzen, holding the hand of her 9-year-old daughter, Meaghan.
Michael Ford stayed with the mourners for more than 40 minutes, shaking the hands of young and old. He clapped some on the back, hugged others and shared a word or two about his dad.
Visitors cried as they greeted Ford and said good-bye one last time to Grand Rapids’ native son.
“I loved your dad,” said one woman. “I do, too,” Ford responded. “Thank you so much for coming.”
At one point, he leaned down to shake the hand of a disabled man in a wheelchair, paused and said, “It’s so special that you are here.”
THE ORDINARY MOURNERS: They had to be there, they say
Pam Abel closed her coffee shop Tuesday afternoon in Brown City, north of Port Huron, hung a sign that said, “Closed to attend Ford’s funeral,” and hopped in her car with her 18-year-old daughter, Kalynne, and her buddy, Ellen Ankely, for the 165-mile drive to Grand Rapids.
Ankely said they had to come. The trio stood in line overnight for more than 4 hours for a 30-second glimpse of the casket, bonding with other visitors, sharing stories and memories of the late president.
They stayed through Wednesday, placing flowers on the makeshift memorial leading to the museum and they stood in the cold across the street from the museum Wednesday afternoon to watch the motorcade leave the museum for the funeral service.
“We all had to take a box of Kleenex,” Ankely said. “We did not want to leave. We wanted to be here and think about him.”
Many others stayed through the afternoon, braving a biting wind and lining up behind barricades, three to four deep to watch the motorcade and Ford’s casket make its way to church.
THE PLANNER: Emotional week draws to close
The week was a busy and emotional one for Martin Allen Jr., a longtime friend of Ford, the chairman emeritus of the Gerald Ford Foundation and key player in planning the funeral arrangements.
He was named an honorary pallbearer and attended ceremonies in California, Washington D.C. and Grand Rapids. He also delivered remarks when Ford was brought back to his museum on Tuesday. The loss of his friend really hit as he was getting on the presidential plane that brought Ford, his family and friends back to Michigan.
“The last piece of music I heard was ‘Going Home,’ ” Allen said. “Then it really hit me.”
He recalled the many times he joked with Ford about their respective alma maters. Ford went to University of Michigan, while Allen graduated from Notre Dame.
“We liked to bet on the football games between U-M and Notre Dame and in the end we probably broke even,” Allen said. “He always told me, ‘You married a U-M girl, so you’re probably pretty smart.’ “
THE LEGACY: Students watch history unfold
Ford’s legacy was fodder for classroom debate Wednesday around Grand Rapids. Some students were dragging, having spent up to 5 hours Tuesday night waiting in line to pass Ford’s casket.
In a world studies class at Forest Hills Eastern High School, students watched the live procession as Ford’s casket arrived at Grace Episcopal Church.
“I know the big things like Watergate and how he pardoned Nixon, but I didn’t know how he helped the country so much when it was in crisis,” said Rebecca Vogelsang, 16, a junior. “It makes me feel special and proud that he put Grand Rapids on the map.”
Compiled by staff writers Marisol Bello, Suzette Hackney, Zachary Gorchow, Ruby L. Bailey and Kathleen Gray.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Detroit Free Press
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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