Recollections by Jean Cook
John Ford was born in 1903. He graduated from St. Benedict’s Prep in 1921. He graduated from Catholic University in Washington DC sometime around 1925. Even during the depression, he always had a job. He worked in New York City for the phone company (“Ma Bell”). During the Depression, his family lost a lot in the stock market. They felt that they were gypped out of an oil stock by Elliot Roosevelt. They believed that they lost their other stocks legitimately but they blamed Roosevelt for the oil stock loss. John Ford sold all of his stock to buy his home and he never bought anymore for himself. He bought his daughter Jean stock in “National Newark and Essex Bank”. She originally got $0.25 dividends. Now, in 2006, it is worth $400 per year.
John Ford wrote several songs. His family’s favorite is “Amboy”.
Amboy, Dear Old Amboy.
The town that lies down by the sea,
At the mouth of the Raritan and Old Princess Bay.
You can see Coney Island right across the way.
From Amboy, Dear Old Amboy.
The town where I played as a youth.
Where I walked on the sands
And I dug up the clams.
In Amboy by the Sea!
John Ford was a homebody. He did not socialize at work. His wife was always upset with him because she believed that he could have gotten much higher up in the company if he’d socialize. All he cared about was his family. He and his wife were “spenders”. They did not save a lot. He was always telling stories. He died of a heart attack on October 14, 1965. He had just turned 62 years old. At the time, he had been working for the phone company at the United Nations.
John Ford rode the train to work and on the train he met a num who was the head of St. Vincent’s hospital. She told him that the family should look into whether they were related to Henry Ford. There is a possible connection.
Jean’s father’s father was born in Philadelphia. Jean’s father’s father’s father came from Ireland with his brothers. Two of the brothers settled in Philadelphia. Another brother kept going but nobody knows where he ended up. He could have been Henry Ford.
Jean’s mother (Marcella ?? Ford) worked at “Asia Magazine” and at “American LeFrance” (the fire engine company). She met her husband at “American LeFrance”. She graduated from Wadley High School in NY. She had a wonderful education. She took correspondence classes from Columbia University. However, she never drove. She tried to take driving lesions on her lunch hour but she had trouble shifting on a hill. After her husband died, she got her license but she never drove. She died at 84 years old. She had fallen and broke her hip. It was a small fracture but they were told that they waited too long to operate so some levels in her body were not right. She died during surgery. As she went into surgery, she said “See you later, alligator.”
Jean’s mother’s father died at 65 of a heart attack. He worked in a wholesale meat market. Something fell on him in the freezer and injured his heart. Jean’s mother’s mother died in her upper 80’s of pneumonia.
