Update: Thomas LeRoy Ford

Thomas LeRoy Ford

There have been a couple of people who have indicated interest in the Ford branch of the Lorig family hence this update is about Thomas LeRoy Ford (aka Lee Roy or Uncle Tall Ford) who was born 6 May 1855 in Trenton township, Henry County, Iowa and died 13 February 1916 in Henry County, Iowa.  Lee Roy Ford was married three times, first to Ellen M. Crouch in 1878, second to Margaret Mae “Maggie” Lorig in 1883, and third to Laura Moore in 1906.  He was later divorced from Laura.  He had seven children with Maggie but no children are listed with his other two wives. 

Six of the seven sons of Thomas LeRoy Ford

[oldest to youngest:  Ralph Henry, Ray James, LeRoy Albert, Earl Marion, Ellis Fernando, Charlie Harold.  Not pictured Guy Lee who died as an infant]

Ellen Crouch Ford died at age 17 in 1879.  She is buried in Old Richwoods Cemetery, Trenton Township, Henry County, Iowa.  The gravestone gives her birth year as 1862.  It was originally thought that she was born and lived in Iowa but I recently learned that she and her sister, Dora Ann, may have possibly have been born in Ohio.  Ellen’s mother was Rebecca Guyton.  When Ellen’s father died Rebecca took her two children by John and perhaps some children from her first marriage and moved from Cedar County, Iowa to Henry County to be closer to her family. 

I did find a John Crouch born in 1828 in Ohio, living in Green, Harrison, Ohio in 1850, the son of Levi Crouch born about 1783 and his wife, Mary born about 1793.  Children in the family at the time of the 1850 census* were Mary, age 24, John, age 22, William, age 20, and a Mary Lyons age 15.  Her relationship to the family was not provided.  I also found Civil War draft** information on John who was drafted into the Union Army in July 1863.  At the time of the draft he was living at Springfield, Cedar County, Iowa.  The next step will be to see if Rebecca received some type of Civil War pension because I think it likely John died either during the Civil War or shortly thereafter.  Ellen was born about a year before John entered the army. 

Rebecca Guyton (alternate spelling Guiton) was the daughter of Samuel Guyton born 1782 and died 1844 and Ann Chance born 1784.  Samuel and Ann were married 21 December 1808 in the First Methodist Episcopal Church, Baltimore, Maryland.  The children of Samuel and Ann were:  Dorcas, born 1800, died 1878; Elisha born 1807 died 1891; Mary Ann born 1814 died 1874; Rebecca born 1822 died 1907; and Nancy born 1830 died 1904.  Dorcas married John Wesley Ford who was the uncle of Thomas LeRoy Ford. 

Rebecca was married three times, first to Joseph Keesecker in 1844 with whom she had the following children:  Tabitha Ann, born 1845, died 1924; George born 1847 died 1910; Lucy A. born 1849; Mary born 1850; Eliza Jennie born 1851; Joseph born 1853.  Joseph Keesecker was born 1823 and died 1853.  John Crouch was her second husband they had two children:  Dora Ann and Ellen.  Her third husband was James Mitts.  They married in November 1871 in Henry County, Iowa.  No children are listed for the third marriage.  If there are Ford family members reading this who have corrections and/or additional information that we can add to this family group I would appreciate hearing from you. 

If I find out more I will post another update. 


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Note:

*  Source reference for 1850 Census, Green, Harrison County, Ohio, NARA M432, page 234B as found on Ancestry.com
** Source reference for Civil War Draft Registration, NM-65, entry 172 as found on Ancestry.com

Additional  information such as names & dates compiled from Foard, Forde, Ford by Helen Ford Gisser, Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org