Notes for
Gordon Nilsson Ford
Written by Shirley
Joan Ford Marshall
21 May 1997
Photo’s were added later by
his daughter Loni Ford Winn while retyping this history.
Written in June 1995 from memories of his sister, S.F.
Marshall. Gordon Nilsson Ford,
only son of John Henry Ford and Ada E. Nilsson, was born in the bedroom of his
parents’ home on October 11, 1932 at Raymond, Alberta, Canada. He probably doesn’t remember his entry
into the world, but his four year old sister (at the time) still remembers
standing in her crib, listening to her mother as the last and most severe labor
contractions pushed him down the birth canal. Mrs. Deardon, midwife and mother’s helper was there and
possibly a doctor also.
His maternal grandparents, Christopher Nilsson and Amanda
Matilda Johnson lived on the huge lot right next door, and his sister had been
born at their home. Since his
mother was the youngest of the seven living Nilsson children and all but two
lived in Raymond, he had plenty of relatives nearby.
Henry Spencer Spellman Ford,
John Ford 11 months, Lillie Belle Church Ford abt Dec. 1901
His paternal grandparents, Henry Spencer Spellman Ford and
Lillie Belle Church lived in the border town of Coutts, Alberta, Canada about
80 miles distant at that time. In
fact the Ford farm was just on the Canadian side of the border. Had it been across the street, it would
have been in Montana in the U.S.A. Unfortunately his Grandfather Ford had a
stroke and died when Gordon was only a year old. He did get to enjoy his Grandmother though because the
family went to the farm to visit quite often before they left Canada, and then
at least once every summer after they moved to Ogden. Jack [nickname of his father John Henry Ford] often boasted
that he could drive from Ogden, leaving in the morning and arrive at Coutts
before dark. In those days there weren’t any freeways to cut miles off the
trip, and there were several mountainous roads traveling through Montana before
they arrived at the fairly flat area around Coutts. The Sweetgrass Hills could be seen in the distance, and on
the U.S. side of the border, there was an interesting area rock formations
called Jerusalem.
Everyone in the family enjoyed those trips to Grandma Ford’s
farm. There were Jack’s two younger brothers, Everett and DeWayne, and in the
beginning, they would sometimes go to Shelby, Montana to visit Uncle Walt, who
worked at a dime store there, and of course, Aunt Alice, Jack’s only sister
lived in the town of Coutts. Her
husband worked at the Border Crossing, but those of the family who often went
out on the border road knew of a special way that saved time by not having to
stop there each time they went back and forth.
Picture of Ford Farm at
Coutts
Being at his Grandma Ford’s was a little different than
Grandma Nilsson’s. Raymond had outdoor
and indoor plumbing facilities. But out on the farm at Coutts, it was just a
little different. Most of the
facilities were outside at the little house with the half moon on the
door. It was only during very cold
nights that the children were allowed to use the chamber pot. When it was cold, they all often
scurried behind the heater in the living room when it was time to put on their
pajamas. No central heating in those days, so either Gordon or the two girls would
be first and then try to modestly change and stay warm at the same time.
Gordon seemed to be a healthy baby, but by the winter after
his first birthday he seemed to be ill quite a bit of the time. He would get so sick that Ada was often
afraid that each grasping breath would be his last. It was discovered that he was suffering from asthma, a
family hereditary disease which seemed to get worse each winter when the
weather was so severe.
By the time he was about five, Ada could not face another
winter with those same fears. She sold her dearly loved piano that summer, and
a friend drove back to the factory in Detroit, Michigan and brought back a new
1937 Nash. It was suppose to have been a LaSalle, but something happened, and
he brought back a Nash, which served the family well for many years.
Ada & Jack with their
1937 Nash
Ada had loved her piano, but her son’s health was more
important to her, and when the family doctor suggested a different climate
might be better for Gordon, she and Jack were quite ready to move to the United
States where the weather was milder.
The family left Canada in August via Cardston, over Logan Pass and
Glacier National Park. They spent a couple of days in Spokane, and then decided
to go to Wenatchee. They only
lived there a few weeks, when Jack got a job in Cashmere, a nice little town
about twelve miles away. So the
family moved to a house that had about three rooms which they could call
home. There is a very cute picture
that Ada and Jack took with their camera of Marilyn and Gordon riding on a tricycle
at the bottom of the steps up to the big front porch of the house.
Marilyn & Gordon
1937 was another depression era and the garage was forced to
lay off some of their help. Since
Jack was one of the newer employees, he got the axe first. The Ford’s moved back to Wenatchee
where they rented a cute little house, which the family really liked. Again they were by themselves and not
living in a house with other families.
They became very good friends with a family named the Beans, who were
members of the church and lived just down the street. Unfortunately it was really hard to get work, so early that
next summer, Jack took the train to Ogden, Utah to look for work there. He was lucky and found a job, coming
back on the train, and then packing all their belongings into a trailer, he
drove everyone to their new home in Ogden.
Madison Elementary
Gordon attended school for the first seven years at Madison
Elementary, a large square, two story school across Lester Park. He next
attended Central Jr, High School, which was just around the block from where
the family had moved when Shirley started there. It was a large home that had been made into four apartments.
The Ford family felt as though they really had a home because they lived in the
front of the house at 2556 Madison Avenue. Next to their back door was a large
area of lawn between the house and the First Ward Chapel where they attended
church. It was a three room house with high ceilings, a large bathroom and a
built on large enclosed porch which served as a bedroom, most of the time for
Jack and Ada.
Marilyn, Shirley &
Gordon. John and Ada in back.
There were apartments on each side and one apartment in the
back. The lot was quite deep and
had a cement driveway going from the street to the back of the lot. Gordon’s
asthma did not stop, and Ada was probably over protective keeping him home from
school on many occasions when he seemed too ill to participate. So as a result,
and also having inherited his father’s interest and ability in repairing
things, school was not as important to him as cars.
He was a smart young man with a couple of real good boy
friends, one named Don Malan and one named Jared Anderson, whose father was the
Bishop. These three young
mechanics at about age 14 repaired an old car, and had a wonderful time driving
it up and back down the long driveway beside the house. Ada also became friends
with Vivian, and they stayed close for quite awhile. Vivian’s son Pete, was also an asthmatic, and so they
worried together about their sons, and what could be done to help them, while
the boys just played together and enjoyed each other.
When the Korean conflict arose, Gordon enlisted in the navy
and sailed to many different exotic countries while on duty. He was in the far
east for awhile and brought back some lovely dishes from Japan for friends and
family. He was honorably discharged and came back to Ogden in late 1953.
After Christmas that year his parents had driven Shirley and
her three month old twin baby boys to Los Angeles where her husband, Russell
Marshall had been attending Northrup Aeronautical School. They traveled in one car while Russ and
Jackie went ahead in his Hudson. He had arranged to meet them all at Aunt Carrie
Pardee’s (a sister of his Grandma Ford’s) in Compton, a suburb of L.A.
Russ had rented a small apartment in a housing development
in Harbor Hills near Torrance. One day when Shirley went to the door, Gordon
and Marilyn’s husband Ron Aikens were on the doorstep. They announced they had
come looking for work and a place to stay while doing so. Fortunately in just a week or two,
Shirley and Russ got the opening they had been hoping for and were ale to move
into a brand new housing development in Culver City, (the home of MGM Studios).
This apartment had three bedrooms upstairs and was really nice. So there was
room for Gordon, Ron and eventually Marilyn brought her 5 month old baby,
Brian. For a time it was really communal living with Shirley fixing lunches for
Ron and Gordon and Russ who worked night shifts. After awhile Marilyn and Ron
were also able to get an apartment a couple of street away and Gordon moved in
with them.
During this time he met some nice young ladies, one who was
a roommate of Debra Paget, a young starlet of that day (I think she was in “The
Ten Commandments.) Gordon seemed to have a special kind of charm, that really
attracted the girls.
Russ graduated from Northrup and got a job with Douglas in
Long Beach. Gordon had moved back to Utah for a short time, and while he was
there be became engaged to a lovely young lady. The family was excitedly
planning for their wedding when it was called off. Gordon returned to Long
Beach for awhile where Jack and Ada had moved to be nearer their children and
get Jack away from the Box Elder trees in Ogden that gave him Hay Fever every spring. The climate there was a lot better for
Jack, but Shirley got asthma almost as soon as they moved there. Living so near
the ocean was nice, because it helped to keep the L.A. smog away, but the fog
and dampness really made her ill.
Gordon didn’t seem to be as bothered with asthma as he had
been and everyone hoped that he had outgrown it as sometimes happens with you
get it as a child. At any rate, he
decided to go back to Ogden, and while he was there he got a good job at Hill
Air Force Base. During this time,
he met LaVee Harris, daughter of Bishop and Sister LeRoy Harris of Beaver
Utah. LaVee was visiting a sister
and when she saw Gordon, must have decided she wanted him, because they were
married on March 21, 1958 at Ogden, Utah.
LaVee was born on August 30th,1939 in Beaver.
Gordon & LaVee cutting
their wedding cake. March 21, 1958
They moved into their first home at North Ogden and Loni
LaVee Ford was born October 22, 1958 at Ogden. Their first son, Larry Ford was born June 21, 1960 also at
Ogden. Kevin was also born at
Ogden on October 19, 1963. By this time Gordon and LaVee had bought a little
larger and nicer home at Sunset, next to Clearfield and very close to where
Gordon was working. The highway to
Salt Lake City could be seen clearly from their back yard.
Larry, LaVee, Loni, Gordon
& Kevin in the Sunset Home about 1971
Gordon was elected President of the Jr. Chamber of Commerce
[it was actually the Jaycee’s] and made good use of his friendly nature and
hard-working abilities, helping out the new community where they had moved.
Several years later they bought a lot on the edge of a small
ravine in the hills of Kaysville. Gordon helped with the building and soon they
had a marvelous new home.
Kaysville, Utah House
Later after their divorce, LaVee moved back to the Sunset
home and Gordon kept the Kaysville house.
He was transferred to Edwards Air Force Base outside of Lancaster,
California where he bought a home for the approximately three years he was
there. He was often sent on TDY when he worked at Hill Field, as he was a
trouble shooter, and made excellent use of his inherent mechanical abilities,
while having the opportunity to travel around the country and get prime pay at
the same time.
Donna & Gordon’s Wedding.
(Not sure where this picture was taken, but not at their house)
While Gordon was in Lancaster, he met Donna Fowler and after
he was sent back to Hill Field, he and Donna were married on September 22, 1979
at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They
lived at the Kaysville house but meshing their two families, Kevin and Donna’s
son, Chad who both lived with them, caused some difficulties and they
separated.
Ada E Nilsson Ford & John
Henry Ford outside their Paradise California Home
Gordon was still sent on TDY, and when working at the base
outside Sacramento would visit John and Ada who had by then moved 90 miles
north to Paradise, California, a beautiful town with pine trees all over on top
of a low mountainous area. He also
saw Donna frequently and they eventually remarried December 1, 1988.
Loni & LaVee outside
Gordon’s house in Overton, Nevada after his funeral.
They lived in Lancaster again in an apartment, but in the
meantime, Gordon having found the plans that his folks had used to build their
Paradise home, modified the blueprints, and after they found some property they
liked in Overton, Nevada, had a house built. Again Gordon assisted in the building and refinishing of
this beautiful home. It was close
enough to Donna’s family in California so they could visit there without too
much trouble, and also not to far from Gordon’s children. Larry and Kevin had both lived in Roy,
Utah for several years, and Loni and Vance had moved from Pocatello to Orem,
Utah where Vance completed his schooling at BYU.
Larry and his wife Layna and their two sons recently moved
to Washington state where Layna still works for the IRS as she did in
Ogden. Apparently they like it out
there, but Dustin and Mitchel enjoy visiting with Donna and Grandpa Gordon
during vacations.
Gordon retired from Hill Field before he and Donna were
remarried, so now they are free to say at home, visit her folks, or travel as
they did this past year. They took
a cruise to Mexico with Donna’s folks and Gordon and Donna took a trip to
Canada where they were able to visit quite a few of the Ford or Nilsson
relatives who still live there.
Gordon, ?, ? Kevin, ?, ?, ?,
Sitting DeWayne & Doreen Ford
Gordon had three children, and now has five grandchildren
who bring love and joy into all our lives as well as sadness and sorrow through
the years. But when all is said
and done, family is what life is really all about, and Gordon is surrounded by
a lot of love, from his own family and from Donna’s as well.
Last family picture taken a
couple of months before he died. Kevin, Gordon, Larry & Loni
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