The Ford Family
Origins and History
Olive Bertha (Seaworth) Ford
Personal & Family Data
| Nickname | Ollie |
| Born | March 23, 1918 Chana, IL |
| Died | June 20, 1996 Rockford, IL |
| Father | Thomas Henry Seaworth |
| Mother | Margaret Ann Seaworth |
Spouse
 |
William Kenneth Ford, M.D. |
| Married
|
April 5, 1961 Little Home Church by the Wayside, Wayne, IL |
Bio
Ollie was the baby of her family (and there were 8 kids in all). Her mother's parents were born in Scotland. Ollie and all her brothers and sisters were born in Illinois, and then Ollie's father moved them all out to North Dakota, which was a great place to farm.
By 1920 Ollie's dad owns his own farm and he and a few of the sons are working it. I am sure they did not have any idea that the bottom would fall out of the grain market that very year, and that more banks would fall into foreclosure in 1921 in North Dakota than anywhere else. There was, of course, a ripple effect and farms were going bust left and right. Who knows what happened to them, but Ollie's dad died pretty young at 61 in 1927. By 1930 only one son is left working the farm while Ollie and her two brothers go to school. Perhaps that is why Ollie moves back to Illinois and finds work in Rockford.
Armed with her high school degree she begins working as a nurse. As part of her training at Rockford Memorial Hospital she attend classes featuring Rockford's fabulous dermatologist, Dr. Wm. K. Ford. Eventually Ollie comes to work for Dr. Ford and becomes a close family friend.
When Dr. Ford went off to WWII, Ollie also enlisted. It seems fairly clear that they were having a long, dedicated relationship. They were not married until April 5th, 1961, however, after his divorce from Glady. Dr. Ford had waited until all his children had made their way through college.
Ollie supported and traveled with Grandpa for the rest of her life and even made trips to Cleveland to see us, and joined in some reunion fun at Torch Lake. Ollie died after a long fight with brain cancer.
Ollie was the baby of her family (and there were 8 kids in all). Her mother's parents were born in Scotland. Ollie and all her brothers and sisters were born in Illinois, and then Ollie's father moved them all out to North Dakota, which was a great place to farm.
By 1920 Ollie's dad owns his own farm and he and a few of the sons are working it. I am sure they did not have any idea that the bottom would fall out of the grain market that very year, and that more banks would fall into foreclosure in 1921 in North Dakota than anywhere else. There was, of course, a ripple effect and farms were going bust left and right. Who knows what happened to them, but Ollie's dad died pretty young at 61 in 1927. By 1930 only one son is left working the farm while Ollie and her two brothers go to school. Perhaps that is why Ollie moves back to Illinois and finds work in Rockford.
Armed with her high school degree she begins working as a nurse. As part of her training at Rockford Memorial Hospital she attend classes featuring Rockford's fabulous dermatologist, Dr. Wm. K. Ford. Eventually Ollie comes to work for Dr. Ford and becomes a close family friend.
When Dr. Ford went off to WWII, Ollie also enlisted. It seems fairly clear that they were having a long, dedicated relationship. They were not married until April 5th, 1961, however, after his divorce from Glady. Dr. Ford had waited until all his children had made their way through college.
Ollie supported and traveled with Grandpa for the rest of her life and even made trips to Cleveland to see us, and joined in some reunion fun at Torch Lake. Ollie died after a long fight with brain cancer.
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