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Edward Byron Ford, Sr. (1894-1957) Consuelo Brazee Ford (1903-2000) and their four children: Edward Byron Ford, Jr. (1926-2002) Henry Alvin Ford (1929-1996) Stanley Joseph Ford (1931-2009) Consuelo Carmen Ford (growing up, known as "Lelo" and today goes by "Connie") Obituary for Connie (1933 - 2022) Connie "Lelo" Ford provided the following information about her family, the Ford's.  Edward Byron, Sr. and Consuelo Brazee Edward Byron, Jr., Henry Alvin, Stanley Joseph and Consuelo Carmen Edward Byron Ford, Sr., was born on August 26, 1894, in San Jose, California. He was a graduate of the University of Santa Clara School of Law and an Army Air Corps Second Lt. Instructor Pilot during W.W.I. He practiced law for a brief time before going into banking in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and in the Philippine Islands. He was president of the Philippine Trust Company prior to and after internment. He served as a director of several Philippine corporations. He was a past exalted ruler of the Manila Elks, a past commander of the Manila American Legion, and past president of the Philippine Guardian Assn. He was also a member of the Manila Rotary Club, the Army Navy Club and the California State Bar Assn. He married Consuelo Brazee in Manila, Philippine Islands, on August 1, 1925, and had four children: Edward Byron, Jr., Henry Alvin, Stanley Joseph and Consuelo Carmen. All six members of the Ford Family were interned in Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila from January 8, 1942, until February 3, 1945. While a prisoner Byron served as treasurer of the Family Aid Committee assisting the families who were split up by internment for special reasons and he was a member of the Food Control Committee. His other duty was washing mosquito nets in the hot tropical sun for anyone in camp. He died on February 12, 1957, in San Jose, California. Consuelo Brazee Ford was born on April 25, 1903, in Manila, Philippine Islands. She completed secretarial school and worked as a secretary in Manila. She married Edward Byron Ford on August 1, 1925, and had four children: Edward Byron Jr., Henry Alvin, Stanley Joseph and Consuelo Carmen. Connie was interned in Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila from January 8, 1942, until February 3, 1945. She had the responsibility of being room monitor for two terms which included roll call, accountability of all occupants, settling disputes, regulating the space environment, etc. She worked on the vegetable detail peeling and separating the good from the rotting food for the camp kitchen. She died on October 20, 2000, in San Jose, California. Edward Byron Ford Jr., was born on September 8, 1926, in Cebu, Philippine Islands. He graduated from Stanford University in accounting and served in the Army as a 1st Lt. in postwar Japan. He was employed by several firms in the San Francisco Bay Area and retired from Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. He married Mary Baca on May 24, 1952, in Tokyo, Japan, and had five children: Katherine, Eileen, Judith, and twins Patricia and Margaret. Byron was interned in Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila from January 8, 1942, until February 3, 1945. He completed high school while interned and worked in the camp hospital as an aide. After liberation he volunteered to work his way to the USA as a merchant marine. He died on December 26, 2002, in San Jose, California. Henry Alvin Ford was born on May 16, 1929, in Manila, Philippine Islands. He graduated from the University of Santa Clara in mechanical engineering. He served in the Army as a hospital aide in postwar Germany. He retired from Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. after thirty years were he was a design engineer on the Twister, Dragon Wagon and Hubble Space Telescope. He married Betty Rich on February 14, 1953, and had seven children: David, Timothy, Richard, Kathleen, Andrew, Edward and Susan. Henry was interned in Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila, from January 8, 1942, until February 3, 1945. He planted and tended a vegetable garden in camp to supplement the family’s meager rations. He and his brother Stanley established a garbage collection service in camp (there was little garbage!). He died on April 15, 1996, in San Jose, California. Stanley Joseph Ford was born on July 10, 1931, in Manila, Philippine Islands. He graduated from San Jose State College in business administration. He retired as a Major after serving twenty-three years in the Air Force flying B52s and was a SAC Command Post Senior Controller. He flew 180 combat missions in Viet Nam where he served as Plans Advisor. He married Sharon Ford on June 26, 1954, in San Francisco, California, and had five children: Michael, James, Gregory, Karen and Jeffrey. Stanley was interned in Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila from January 8, 1942, until February 3, 1945. He participated in boxing matches as part of the camp entertainment. He and his brother Henry established a garbage collection service in camp (there was little garbage!). He died on July 2, 2009 in San Jose, California. Consuelo Carmen Ford was born on September 27, 1933, in Manila, Philippine Islands. She graduated from San Jose State College in business administration. She retired from Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. after thirty-one years working as a quality engineer in Product Assurance. Connie was interned in Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila from January 8, 1942, until February 3, 1945. She and a friend planted and tended a vegetable garden to supplement the family’s meager rations when the children’s playground out of necessity was converted to gardening plots. She enjoys downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, swimming and golf and resides in Grass Valley, California, and Incline Village, Nevada.  First Rotary Club of Manila meeting since WWII began was held in the bamboo pavilion in Santo Tomas Internment Camp on February 28, 1945. Left to right Theodore “Ted” L. Hall and Brigadier General Carlos P. Romulo.  Attendees of the first Rotary meeting: (standing) Sidney Schwartzkoph, Bishop Wilner, unidentified, J. Carrans, George Koster, Patrick Frank, Sam Gaches, W. G. Rimmer, (seated middle row) Byron Ford, F. H. Myers, Ned Hall, Prof. Chapman, (seated front row) D. G. Gunnell, Robert W. Cadwallader, Rotarian from India.
 Santo Tomas Internment Camp registration card for Consuelo C. Ford, dated January 8, 1942.
 Ford cousins reunited in San Jose, California, in May 1945. Back row: Byron Ford, Jr., with his cousins Cathrine, Thomas, Jr., Front row: Margaret, Alice and Patrick Ford. Byron was liberated at Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila, Thomas was in hiding in Manila and his siblings were in hiding on the island of Panay and were rescued by a U.S. submarine. (Photo San Jose Mercury Herald) January 15, 2008 From Connie Ford Tom, Thanks for meeting me at Margaret Sams' and lunch afterwards. It's good when the visits are two people at a time.  Connie Ford, Tom Moore and Margaret Sams  or would like to be added to my POW/Internee e-mail distribution list, please let the me, Tom Moore, know. Thanks! |
