We recently visited the gravesite of President Gerald R. Ford in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was an extremely cold winter day, and it reminded me of the images I saw as I watched television coverage of his burial about four years ago.
I remember thinking that for all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the funeral and burial of President Ford, the ceremonies still reflected a bit of the down-to-earth character of the man himself.
People seemed as likely to call him "Jerry" with an affectionate familiarity as they were to call him "President Ford", and he, in turn, seemed to respect and remember his own humble beginnings and the people who supported him along the way in life.
Ford's final journey home began in California with ceremonies and a 21-gun salute in Palm Desert, California, where an Air Force One plane stood ready to receive his casket for transport to Washington, D.C.
Once in Washington, Navy veteran Ford went to the World War II Memorial where Navy personnel honored him with ceremonies including playing of the Navy Hymn, a Navy bugler playing taps, and a group of female graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy gathering to honor Ford's signing of legislation during the mid-1970s that finally allowed women to attend the Naval Academy.
More than 50,000 people went to the U.S. Capitol building to pay their respects to President Ford as he lay in state for more than two days.
A state funeral occurred on January 2 in at the National Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul attended by 3,700 friends, family, and dignitaries.
It was only then, after nearly 8 days of mourning, that Jerry Ford finally boarded Air Force One for one last trip home.
Performances of the University of Michigan's Alma Mater and "Victors" fight songs greeted Ford on his arrival in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
An estimated 57,000 people went to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum to pay their respects, many of them waiting in line in bitter cold as long as 6 hours to do so, as Ford's body lay in state in the museum's lobby. I remember seeing television footage of that night, and watching as some of Ford's children and grandchildren spent several hours personally greeting many of the mourners.
Ford next traveled to Grace Episcopal Church, where he married Betty during the 1940s. A crowd that included more than 300 friends, family, and dignitaries listened as speakers like Ford's sons Steven and Michael eulogized their father and Former President Jimmy Carter warmly remembered Jerry Ford as a personal friend, a source of good advice, and as the man who helped heal the nation after the dark days surrounding President Nixon's resignation that propelled Ford into the White House.
Thousands of mourners, many wearing University of Michigan garb, also lined the routes as Ford's body traveled to the Ford Museum to lay in state, then on to Grace Episcopal for the funeral, and back to the museum for a final 21-gun salute and burial.
Watch C-Span coverage of the Grand Rapids events here. Grand Valley State University also has a nice online collection of programs, speeches, and other records related to Ford's funeral.
Ford's grave is a short walk from the museum. The site is part of a serene park-like campus where only the quiet buzz of traffic from the nearby interstate reminds you that you are in busy downtown Grand Rapids.
I took some of the photos here during the 2010 Art Prize competition when the museum served as a venue and large crowds visited to see the art displays. The building near the graves is the museum, but the museum is just far enough away so that the gravesite retains its quiet and unpretentious character.
Ford's grave is in a fenced in area and tucked into a slight hillside. A granite marker just outside of the gates identifies the site as the final resting place of President Ford and, eventually, Betty Ford.
You can visit the grave site every day from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day).
Check out my story about another Midwest presidential gravesite, Cleveland monument is lasting tribute to President James A. Garfield.
Want to learn more about President Ford? Check out Gerald R. Ford by Douglas Brinkley, Write it When I'm Gone: Remarkable Off-the-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford by Thomas M. DeFrank, or Greater Grand Rapids: City that Works by Gerard R. Ford, John Corriveau, and Peggy J. Parks.
© Dominique King 2011 All rights reserved
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