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Mary Katherine Ford

Mary Katherine Ford, 98, Sonoma, passed away peacefully July 7, 2011, at London House Golden Living, in Sonoma.

Mary was born to Michael and Catherine Hanlon, June 1, 1913, in Stonington, Ill., one of five children born to the recent immigrants from Sterling, Scotland, who settled in central Illinois to work the coalmines.

She attended grammar school in Stonington, high school in Gillespie, then beauty school in Springfield.

She met and married William P. Ford, had two sons and began a life that required moving frequently around the Midwest and Southwest, finally retiring to a farm in the southeast Missouri foothills of the Ozarks.

Mary was a devout Catholic and very active in church and school activities in the many communities where she lived. Her hobbies included millinery, creating ladies hats when hats were still in style. She also enjoyed reading but her real passion was bingo and she would go to great lengths to participate in a game.

In laster years, she was devoted to caring for her ill husband. During this period she received her driver's license for the first time at age 82 in order to drive him to doctors appointments. After her husband passed away, Mary moved to Sonoma to be near her family. She lived at Merrill Gardens for the past 10 years.

She was predeceased by her husband, William P. Ford, of Farmington, Miss., and William T. Ford, of Anchorage, Alaska.

Mary is survived by son, Robert (Darlene); grandchildren, Jill Ford, San Francisco, Erica Clark (Matt,), Marianne Anderson (Chris) and Tiffany Delalay; great-grandchildren, Audrey Clark, Tristan and Natalie Anderson, all of Sonoma; and daughter-in-law, Deirdre Ford, of Anchorage.

Interment will be at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo. Arranged through Duggan's Mission, Chapel, 525 W. Napa St., Sonoma.

Donations may be made to Friends of Turkana, P.O. Box 135, Sonoma, CA 95476.