ABOUT US

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The Ford family of Memphis carries a distinguished and enduring legacy, one deeply rooted in faith, perseverance, public service, and community leadership. As detailed in Harold Ford Jr.’s book More Davids Than Goliaths, this legacy began more than 165 years ago when two enslaved men, Essex and Jackson Geeter, escaped a Mississippi plantation and journeyed to what is now South Memphis. Their courage laid the foundation for a lineage defined by resilience and service.

Essex Geeter later became one of the first African Americans elected to the County School Board. The Geeter and Ford families were united when Lewie C. Ford married Ophelia Edna Geeter, daughter of Newton Jackson Ford and Hazel Ford Sampson. Lewie’s father, Newton F. Ford, was elected to the Shelby County Court in 1888 and was among the founders of the second incarnation of the Old Folks Society in 1870, a prestigious organization devoted to preserving local history. Newton F. Ford also donated land for the establishment of Ford Chapel AME Zion Church, which became the family’s spiritual home.

Originally from Coldwater, Mississippi, the Geeter family-owned land in the Whitehaven area. Sallie Geeter donated property for the construction of Geeter High School, built specifically to educate African American youth. Ophelia Geeter, a graduate of Lemoyne Normal Institute, became an educator, while her husband Lewie Ford worked as a sharecropper, car service owner, and later founded the first Ford family undertaking business.

Their son, Newton Jackson Ford, joined the family mortuary business after graduating from Manassas High School. Known affectionately as N. J., he married Vera Davis, who moved to Memphis from Helena, Arkansas, with her family at the age of five. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High School, Vera worked at the historic Peabody Hotel, where she met Newton, then the caretaker of the famed Peabody ducks. They married and shared a devoted union of fifty-three years.

N. J. Ford established N. J. Ford Funeral Parlor, later renamed N. J. Ford & Sons Funeral Parlor, to reflect the growing involvement of his children. The funeral home remains a cornerstone of the Memphis community today. Following N. J.’s passing, brothers Joseph Ford, Edmund Ford, Harold Ford, and now sister Joyce Miller's daughter Pamela Wherry expanded the family’s service to the community by owning and operating her own successful funeral home in the Memphis area.

N. J. and Vera Ford were the proud parents of fifteen children, twelve of whom survived, all of whom received college educations. 

Their children include:

Barbara Branch, Esquire

Melvin Ford, Sr.

Lewie Ford, Sr.

Joyce Ann Miller

John Ford, Sr. 

The Late Emmitt Ford, Sr.

Harold Ford, Sr.

Vera Ford

The Late Dr. James Ford, Sr.

Ophelia Ford 

Joseph Ford, Sr.

Edmund Ford, Sr.

Their commitment to education, service, and leadership shaped generations.

In 1974, Harold Ford Sr. made history by defeating incumbent Dan Kuykendall to become the first African American elected to Congress in Tennessee and the broader South. Despite election irregularities and misconduct by the Election Commission, Congressman Ford prevailed and served for twenty-two years, earning a sterling reputation for integrity and responsiveness. He later earned a Master’s degree from Howard University and became a respected member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Public service became a hallmark of the Ford family. John Ford served on the Memphis City Council, the Tennessee State House, and later the State Senate for more than thirty years, including a term as Speaker Pro Tempore. 

Emmitt Ford, Sr. succeeded Harold Ford, Sr.’s former State House seat while also operating the successful Ford Meat Market. 

James Ford, an ophthalmologist, surgeon, entrepreneur, and pastor, was educated at Columbia Medical School and Union Theological Seminary, served on the Memphis City Council and County Commission until his passing in 2003.

Joseph Ford continued the family’s legacy by serving on the City Council, the County Commission, as Chairman of the Commission, and later as interim Shelby County Mayor. 

Edmund Ford, the youngest sibling, also served from 1999 to 2007 on the City Council and became its Chairman. In 2019, he continued his community service in the Memphis City Council while owning and operating the thriving E. H. Ford Mortuary Service. He was the first family member to open and operate his own funeral home.

Ophelia Ford broke new ground as the first woman in the family to seek elected office and served three full terms in the Tennessee State Senate. Before politics, she held leadership roles at Memphis Area Legal Services and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Memphis. She later joined the family business, earning credentials as a Licensed Funeral Director, Certified Funeral Service Practitioner, and Licensed Insurance Agent. Her service also includes national leadership within the National Funeral Directors Association.

The Ford family’s achievements span every field imaginable. Among them are attorneys, educators, military veterans, entrepreneurs, public servants, ministers, healthcare professionals, journalists, editors, authors, producers, analysts, designers, funeral service specialists, and community leaders. The family has held offices at every level of government, including the U.S. House of Representatives, County Commission, and City Council.

Our heritage is rich, expansive, and deeply impactful. We are immensely proud of the Ford family legacy and honored to gather once again to celebrate our past, present, and future together.

We cannot wait to reunite with you and continue writing our story together