Virginia Groover Moody Ford, of Lake Village, formerly of Greenville, Mississippi, died August 15, 2008, at her home in Lake Village. Mrs. Ford was born on October 9, 1907, in Boston, Georgia. After marrying in 1928, she lived with her husband, the late Lester Lee Ford, all over the United States and the Middle East, settling in Iran for about 15 years, until returning home in Greenville, Mississippi in 1970. A world traveler, Mrs. Ford was among the first Americans to visit Communist Russia and China as a tourist. She never stopped traveling abroad until a last trip to Italy when she was 96. Mrs. Ford, in addition to her husband, was preceded in death by her parents, the late Dr. Joseph Way Moody and Elizabeth Groover Moody, and her brother, Joseph W. Moody of Boston, Georgia; and her daughter, Virginia Ford Alexander. Mrs. Ford is survived by two sons, Lester Lee Ford and his wife, Barbara Fournier of Grand Haven, Michigan and Joseph Moody Ford and his wife, Rebecca Wallace, of Austin, Texas; her son-in-law Edward Alexander, Sr. of Greenville, Mississippi; her grandchildren, Lester Lee Ford, III and his wife, Colleen, of Spring Lake, Michigan, Katherine Ford Knable and her husband, Robert Knable of Oldsmar, Florida, Laurie Alexander Bridewell of Lake Village, Arkansas, Edward Alexander Jr. and his wife, Melinda, of Saltillo, Mississippi, Elizabeth Alexander Smith and her husband, Kyle Smith of Memphis, Tennessee, Lindsay Ford Franklin, and her husband, Oliver Franklin of Austin, Tennessee and Virginia Ford Nalle, and her husband, Alan Nalle, of Atlanta, Georgia; great-grandchildren, Nicholas Ford, Robert Knable, Sarah Knable, Robert Bridewell, Jr. William Bridewell, Andrew Bridewell, Laurie Elizabeth Alexander, Ford Alexander, Brooks Alexander, Anderson Franklin, Anne Olivia Franklin, Merritt Nalle, Alexander Kilpatrick, and Lawson Kilpatrick; her sister-in-law, Jo Looper Moody of Boston, Georgia; and very special friends, Nelson Kilpatrick and her husband, Andy Kilpatrick of Memphis, Tennessee, Linda Jo Armstrong and Margaret Mangrum of Lake Village, Arkansas, Ila Mae Williams of Eudora, Arkansas, Pat Compton of Eudora, Arkansas and Jean Brown of Lake Village, Arkansas.
Funeral services will be at 10:00 A.M. Monday, August 18, 2008, at the First United Methodist Church, 402 Washington Ave., Greenville, Mississippi, with Rev. Brad Hodges officiating. Burial will follow in Greenville City Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Oliver Franklin, Nicholas Ford, Robert Bridewell Jr. William Bridewell, Rob Knable and Robert Knable.
There will be no formal visitation but the family will receive friends Sunday, August 17, 2008, between 3:00 P.M. and 7:00P.M. at 169 Stuart Island Road, in Lake Village, Arkansas.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial be sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
Arrangements are by Bishop Funeral Home of Lake Village.
