Billy Graham's last sibling, Jean Graham Ford, dies

Billy Graham's last sibling, Jean Graham Ford, dies


Jean Graham Ford, the last living sibling of Rev. Evangelist Billy Graham, has died, the family announced. She was 91.

Ford is known for her strong faith in the Lord and her love of family and community.

“My Aunt Jean loved the Lord Jesus Christ, her family, her church and the work of God's people around the world. She was with her husband Dr. Leighton Ford was always a great encouragement to my father throughout his ministry. He sought their advice on many issues throughout his life,” shared evangelist Franklin Graham.

According to The Charlotte Ledger, Ford had been in declining health since December and died Thursday morning from complications of a stroke.

She was the youngest of the four Graham children and 14 years younger than Billy Graham, whom she affectionately called “Billy Frank.”

Ford contracted polio at age 11, paralyzing her neck, but she did not allow it to affect her faith in Christ.

“Even back in her young life, when she was faced with the possibility of death as a child, she often said that it didn’t bother her.” [to die] so much because she knew she would go to heaven. She traced her faith to her childhood, noting that Jesus “was part of our family,” Graham recalls.

She then attended Wheaton College, where she met her husband, Leighton Ford. He is described as a “powerful evangelist” who went on to serve as associate evangelist at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) for three decades.

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Franklin Graham recalled that Leighton remained grateful for the support of his loving and faithful wife, especially after they lost their eldest child, Sandy, during heart surgery in 1981. He was 21 years old.

“We made that decision that night,” she said years later in an interview about her son’s death. “God is good…Even when we didn’t feel like it.”

In 1985, the couple founded Leighton Ford Ministries, where she became an evangelist.

And she never shied away from sharing her faith.

In 2018, Jean spoke at Billy Graham's funeral in Charlotte.

She said that when she heard the news of her brother's death, she was reminded of the hymn “Heaven Came Down and Filled My Soul with Glory.”

“On February 21, heaven came down and took my brother away from me,” she told mourners. “One day heaven will come down and take me. And I know what.” [my brother] Today I want to say: 'Heaven is coming again and wants to welcome you too.'”

Franklin Graham shared that his aunt’s testimony for the Lord lives on.

“We are grateful for her life that touched so many as she shared her testimony and said, 'Sometimes it is so difficult to commit our life to the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet I have no other choice. That was deeply rooted.' my trust in what he promises; my trust in who I know he is.'”

“We will miss them in this life, but look forward to eternity together in the presence of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” he concluded.

Billy Graham, the eldest of the four children, died in 2018 at the age of 99. Catherine Graham McElroy died in 2006 at the age of 86 and Melvin Graham died in 2003 at the age of 78.

Jean is survived by her husband, Leighton, her son, Kevin, and her daughter, Debbie.

Source: www2.cbn.com

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