GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — On Friday, a special wreath-laying ceremony was held to remember a historic birthday.
President and West Michigan native Gerald R. Ford was born on July 14, 1913. He would have been 110.
The former first lady Betty Ford made a point to honor her late husband. Although Betty has since passed, his memory remains alive and well.
There was no shortage of flowers along the former president's burial site at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on Friday. Those at the ceremony stood with their hands over their hearts in honor of Ford as music played.
Wreaths were presented during the service: One from local police, another from his family and the last from President Joe Biden.
Though we begin to approach almost 17 years since his death in 2006, family members of Ford say it's important to see the tradition carried on.
"If Mom and Dad were here today, they would tell you, this is about Grand Rapids," said son Steven Ford. "This is not about them, but where they came from and the people that invested in their lives and their community and their family here in Grand Rapids."
"It's just nice that a sitting president honors a deceased president on his birthday, and it's such a special time, and what a wonderful time of year in Grand Rapids and your weather is shining," said daughter Susan Ford Bales.
The former president's youngest child and only daughter also reflected on her father's character and ability to work with those he didn't agree with. She said politics have become very different, and wishes some of those older values could return.
The quiet roar of traffic was all that could be heard during a moment of silence in the ceremony, 38 seconds in memory of the country's 38th president, a legacy not to be forgotten.
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