Mother Geraldine Virginia (Smith) Ford

Respectfully, we honor the legacy of life of Mother Geraldine Ford of Walterboro, South Carolina.

Geraldine Virginia Smith was born August 15, 1928, the oldest of nine children born to Cyrus and Ophelia Smith. She was educated in the public schools of Ritter and Green Pond,
going as far as social and economical circumstances would allow. In spite of the obstacles, she maintained a love for learning and endeavored to instill that love in others. She often told her
children of her educational exploits, such as memorizing long poems, playing basketball, and becoming the class valedictorian.Her Christian education was nurtured at Cumberland United Methodist Church, and her faith later led her to the Message and fellowship of Lighthouse Tabernacle, Green Pond, SC.In January 1949, she was united in holy matrimony to John Wesley Ford, and to this union, ten children were born. She dedicated herself to nurturing her children, urging them to get a good education, build a good life for themselves, and seek a close relationship with Christ,to know Him and to put Him first in all things.She also loved to cook perfecting her craft over the years and told of how, as a child, she would stand on a crate in order to reach the stove. Some of her most-requested dishes included a variety of rice's, soups, various fruit pies, biscuits, and her specialty, sweet potato pies with her made-from-scratch crust.We were blessed under her loving care for nearly 91 years and thank God for the example she set and the legacy she left. She was preceded in death by her spouse, her son Walter Alexander, her “loved-like a-son” Danny, two grandsons Terrell and Terrence, her parents, and four siblings. She leaves to cherish her memories nine children: John Wesley II (Cathy) of Vine Grove,KY, Jacqueline Williams of Walterboro, Vincent Cyrus of the home, Patricia (Johnny) Gantt of Norfolk, VA, Gwendolyn (Kevin) Felder of Orangeburg, SC, Carl Roderick (Tasha) of Louisville, KY, Reginald Fitzgerald of Atlanta, GA, Audrey (Marion) Blue of Ritter, SC, and Samantha (Travis) Dixon of Walterboro, SC; five siblings: Mary Singleton of Springfield Gardens, NY, Sarah Tucker of Jamaica, NY, Retha Frasier of Ritter, SC, David (Janet) Smith of Ritter, SC and James Coaxum of Ritter, SC; two brothers-in-law Lawrence Ford of Colorado Springs, CO and Frederick Frazier, Sr. of Jamaica, NY; lifelong friends Ethel Lisbon, Mary Napier, and Margie Singleton; 16 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great granddaughter, and her church family, along with a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. 

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