Vernon Ehlers: “Indeed, he was a most gracious person and also a most capable and hardworking person. I appreciate the comments that…”

“Indeed, he was a most gracious person and also a most capable and hardworking person. I appreciate the comments that Majority Leader Hoyer made which reflect very accurately what a wonderful person Mr. Ford was. But I want to add just a few examples from my hometown and my experience with him. I, at one time, was the Chairman of the County Commission. This was at the time when we were erecting the Ford Museum in Grand Rapids. Of course, he was interested in that and came around regularly. He was retired from the Presidency at that time. I recall walking down the street with Mr. Ford. I thought I knew quite a few people there, but walking down the street with him, even though he had not served in Congress for some 10 years at that time, people, of course, would greet him and say, 'Hi, Jerry, how are you doing?' They all knew him. The amazing part to me was that he knew them, and he would say, 'Hi, Bob. Hi, Shirley. Hi, Jerry. How are you doing?'”