Alma Ford

Services will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Martin. Burial will follow in Gardner Cemetery near Martin.
Visitation will be at the church from 4-8 p.m. today or from 9 a.m. Saturday until the hour of services.
Officiating ministers will be Dr. Mike Sams and the Rev. David Brown. Pallbearers will be Mark Ford, Mike Ford, Maury Ford, Rick Wilson Jr., Paul Ryne Wilson, Matthew Ford, Andy Ford, Richard Boyte, Marcus Ford, James Michael Ford II, Mike Davis, Tyler Davis, Lee Wilson and Luke Wilson.
The family requests that memorials be made to First Baptist Church building fund.
Mrs. Ford is survived by her husband, Billy E. Ford; two daughters, Donna Wilson and Kay Wright, both of Martin; three sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Marcia Ford of Paris, Mike and Anne Ford of Martin and Maury and Julie Ford of Knoxville; her sister, Norma Schiavone of Springville; her brothers and sister-in-law, Marvin and Ja’Nice Phillips of Eads; 12 grandchildren, Rick Wilson Jr. and his wife, Brandi, Paul Ryne Wilson, Jennifer Davis and her husband, Mike, Marcus Ford, Andy Ford, Madison Ford, Reilley Ford, James Michael Ford II, Matthew Ford, Anna Ford, Elizabeth Ford and Kate Ford; and six great-grandchildren. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews who loved Aunt Alma dearly.
Mrs. Ford was preceded in death by her parents, Marvin Denzel Phillips and Birdie Marie (Anderson) Phillips; and her infant grandson, Billy Edward Ford.
In the early years of Alma and Billy’s marriage, she retired as a telephone operator from South Central Bell Phone Co. After Billy’s retirement from the U.S. Army, they moved home to Martin where Alma worked as a nurse for Dr. E.C. Thurmond Jr. until his death in 1986. In 1987, the couple were asked to be the residence managers at the Governor’s Executive Residence under Gov. Ned Ray McWherter’s administration. Following his two terms, she and Billy remained in that position for Gov. Don Sundquist’s eight-year administration.
Alma was the founder of a very active Bunco club in Martin. She was a member of the America Contract Bridge League for many years and was awarded Golden Age Life Master. She was the most diligent and enthusiastic member of the Fulton, Union City and Dresden Tuesday night and Wednesday duplicate bridge clubs, plus numerous local bridge clubs.
Alma was known as the member that was the “Master of Life” at each game.
She was a member of First Baptist Church in Martin.