John E. Ford, 94, of Fort Dodge passed away Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at his home.
Funeral service will be 10:00 AM on Monday, March 19, 2012 at Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home and a Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 AM at Sacred Heart Church, with Msgr. Kevin McCoy officiating. Burial will follow at Corpus Christi Cemetery with Full Military Honors presented by the VFW Post 1856. A visitation will be Sunday, March 18, 2012 from 3:00 to 6:00 PM at the funeral home, with a vigil at 6:00 PM.
John is survived by his children, James Ford of Denver, CO; Sheila Pflanz of Clive; Kathleen Ford of Minneapolis, MN; Patricia Milford of Natick, MA; and Robert Ford of Des Moines; three grandchildren, Kristina Pflanz, Jeffrey Pflanz, and Emma Milford; sons-in-law Thomas Pflanz and Christopher Milford; a sister, Agnes McElroy; and his devoted protector, Cookie.
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JOHN E. FORD
John was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Estella (McMahon) Ford; wife, Frances; and sister, Mary Ford.
John Edward Ford was born September 30, 1917 on a farm near Clare. He graduated from Pioneer High School in 1934. After graduation, he farmed with his parents for several years and was employed as a salesman for Sinclair Oil Company. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1942, serving during WWII in England, France, Belgium and Germany. After his honorable discharge in December 1945, he moved to Fort Dodge. On September 25, 1948 he was united in marriage to Frances C. Hanrahan at Sacred Heart Church in Fort Dodge, where they established their home. From 1948 to 1959 John worked at The Fort Dodge Messenger as an advertising and circulation salesman. In 1959 he went to work for the Conservative Bond and Mortgage Co. as a real estate salesman and served as Manager from 1968 until 1970, at which time he established Ford Realty and Mortgage Company. In 1977 John joined First Financial Service Corporation/First Federal Savings and Loan Association as a real estate appraiser. John retired in 1989.
He was a member of Holy Trinity Parish, Knights of Columbus, past president of the St. Edmond Century Club, original member of the St. Edmond Booster Club, past commander and board member of American Legion Post 130, and past president of the Fort Dodge Board of Realtors. He also served on the legislative committee for the Iowa Realtors Association and was an active member of Fort Dodge Chamber of Commerce and the Mortgage Bankers Association of Iowa. He was a current Board Member of Webster County CrimeStoppers and longtime fixture on the Webster County Tax Board. In recent years, he was a tireless volunteer for Almost Home/Humane Society of North Central Iowa, advising on the construction of the new shelter and raising funds.
He was a rabid fan of St. Edmond and ISU sports, played a round of golf as recently as last September, requested his nightly beer up until his final day of life, and, like most long-suffering Cubs fans, never saw them win a World Series in his 94 years.
The family requests that memorials be made in his name to The Humane Society of North Central Iowa, St. Edmond Catholic Schools, or Hospice of Fort Dodge.
