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Class of 46
Virgil Ford
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Following High School graduation in 1946, like many of you, I
enlisted in the Army and served at Fort Sheridan and Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. After being discharged from the Army I enrolled at DeForrest's School of radio, television and industrial electronics in Chicago. I graduated in 1950 and in September took a position with an engineering firm who had a contract at the Electronics Supply Office at Great Lakes. April 1953 saw the birth of our first child, Brad LeRoy, at 5 pounds one ounce. Brad produced three grandchildren. Keith, a freshman piano major at the U. of Missouri at Kansas City, Lorene a sophomore in high school determined to be her class valedictorian, and Byron a dyslexic boy doing quite well (B average) in the sixth grade. Brad and family live in Brandon, Mississippi where he works for Raytheon. |
| In July 1955 our second child,
Karen Diane was born. She married Jim Stark from Zion and they have two children.
Cori living and working locally and Greg, a sophomore in high school with the
goal of getting a degree in computer science. They live nearby in Fallbrook,
California. My wife Lorena died in February 1956 from ovarian cancer. In October 1958 Earlene Simms and I were married by the Rev. John Clark at the Zion Revival Center. We were divorced in June 1962.September 1973 I was transferred by the Federal Government to the Ships Parts Control Center in Mechanicsberg, Pennsylvania. This resulted from a consolidation of the two offices. The U.S. Coast Guard hired me in April 1974 to assist in establishing an Inventory Control Point at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland (South of Baltimore.) I retired from the Federal work force on August 1981 after 31 years and four months of service. The following April I moved from Pasadena, Maryland to Oceanside, California and have been happily retired ever since. |
| This is my grandson, Keith and I on our way to Alaska via the ALCAN Highway. A fabulous trip we took in 1992 when he was 11. We talk about it whenever we are together. He is a freshman piano major student now at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. |
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This is my grandson, Byron, and I starting out on our trip up
highway 101 to Port Angeles (at the end of 101.) From there we took a ferry
ride to Victoria, Alberta, another ferry ride to Vancouver. This was followed by
a long drive to Lake Louise, B.C., Jasper, the Canadian Rockies, across British
Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario to Sault Sainte Marie. We crossed the Mackinaw Bridge, one of the greatest in the world at Mackinaw City and the next day took a boat ride to Mackinac Island where we visited the Grand Hotel and rode a couple times around the island on rented bikes. From there we continued South to Ludington, Michigan followed by a ferry boat ride across Lake Michigan and a drive up to Door County, Wisconsin to visit the Zion Camp ground and my E-mail buddy Roger Luther and wife Mona. Heading south once more we continued on to Devil's Lake and the Wisconsin Dells near Baraboo. At Zion, Illinois we enjoyed a visit with family and friends, including a Mini Reunion with Class of 46 School Mates. From there I dropped Byron, a great camper, off at his home in Brandon, Mississippi. After 1800 miles more I was home again in Oceanside, CA. |
| Me and my little toy. Bought this camper with 28,000 miles on it and sold it with 152,000. All of these miles were trip miles. Five with my grandkids, one at a time, and the rest with lots of other people, yes Edyth, including a couple harem members. Must confess that when I watched the new owner drive it away I was shaken deep down inside. Lots of memories. |
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The Class of 46 E-mail Net Founders, Carl Brown and Virgil. Enjoying the Mini Reunion No. 1 at Grant Sisson's farm. |
| He's the same Gus we all knew in high school. A fine member of our group as is his wife Junella. Photo taken at the Mini Reunion at Grant Sisson's Lake County farm. |  |
This page revised 25 February 2000
