Lillian Ford

Lillian Ford - DAYTON Lillian Keith Ford, 92, passed away on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, at Rhea Medical Center.Mrs. Ford was born Sept. 5, 1917. She was a member of the Keith and Jones families, pioneer residents of Rhea County. Mrs. Ford was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and will be missed by many lifelong friends. In her later years, she was lovingly known to many as "Nana" Ford. She received her education at Dayton City School, Rhea Central High School and Abel's Business School. Mrs. Ford was a longtime employee of Robinson's Drug Store, Dayton City School, and retired from the Dayton Housing Authority. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Dayton.Mrs. Ford was preceded in death by her husband, James H. Ford Sr.; parents, Dayton natives, Wallace C. Keith and Maggie Mae Jones Keith; sister, Jane Keith Kimbrough; and daughter-in-law, Peggy Burnette Ford.Survivors include her son, James H. Ford Jr. of Chattanooga; daughter, Sara Jane Ford Locke of Dayton; three grandchildren, Stephaine Ford Linkous (Darrell), of Cleveland, Tenn., Keith Locke (Jennifer), of Chattanooga, and James H. Ford III (Candice), of Athens, Tenn.; seven great-grandchildren; sister-in law, Betty Ford Byron, of Dayton and Frances Ford Watt, of Atlanta, Ga.; and several nieces and nephews and their families.A celebration of her life will be today, April 30, at 1 p.m. in the chapel of Coulter-Garrison Funeral Home with Pastor John Anderson officiating.Burial will follow at Buttram Cemetery.Memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 12, Dayton, TN 37321, or the American Cancer Society, 6221 Shallowford Road, Ste. 102, Chattanooga, TN 37421.Coulter-Garrison Funeral Home of Dayton is in charge of arrangements.