Jerry Ford adds author to his resume with publication of first book

EDITOR'S NOTE: A reference to Dr. Frank Nickell being a consultant on the book has been removed due to inaccuracy.

Jerry Ford is tacking another title onto his list of professions: author.

Ford -- a well-known local musician, former Missouri state legislator and funeral director -- recently released a book covering his experiences as all three.

He said the book, titled "The Gordonville Grove: Stories of Tombstones, Tambourines & Tammany Hall," is a comedic, behind-the-scenes look at funerals, music performances, the workings of the Missouri Legislature and his campaign in 1980 for Congress.

Although this is Ford's first venture writing a book, he has been telling many of the short stories featured on its pages for years.

"These are true, funny stories, and I think people will get a kick out of them," he said.

The time he and his family spent on the lawn of the original Ford and Sons Funeral Home on Sprigg Street with friends from the Haarig, or Good Hope area of Cape Girardeau, inspired him to name the book after the nickname given to the location, The Gordonville Grove.

Many of the stories Ford has included about music and politics also revolve around the funeral home lawn. The music stories are about going to hear big band music across the river at the supper clubs, The Purple Crackle and The Colony Club.

"So to go across the river to either one, you had to go right by the grove. Coming home you had to go back by again," he said, which made for a great number of stories.

"The Grove is kind of the glue, you could say, which holds these stories together, although there are three distinct entities," he said.

Ford used to tell the stories from the funeral home front lawn at house parties years ago, he said, and people really enjoyed them. Over time, he said, he forgot about the stories and the great time he had telling them.

When Cape Girardeau changed its motto to "Where the River Turns a Thousand Tales," Ford said he began thinking of the stories again and decided to write them down. The book came about when conversations with people about the stories kept coming up, he said.

Ford worked with Dr. Susan Swartwout of the University Press to publish the book.

Local cartoon artist Don Greenwood created the illustrations for Ford's book, including a facsimile of The Gordonville Grove on the book's front cover.

Ford said he wanted to write the book for entertainment.

"I'm tired of 24-hour television news and constant radio chatter," he said. "It seems like everyone is constantly at each other's throats. Everything seems to be polarized in one area or another. In the process, at least in the public arena, it doesn't look like we are having much fun, so I wrote this book for people to be able to sit down and have a good chuckle."

Ford said the book makes reference to many familiar names and places relevant to the Good Hope area of Cape Girardeau and the politics of the city.

"The Gordonville Grove: Stories of Tombstones, Tambourines & Tammany Hall" is available at the university bookstore, through the University Press, at Barnes & Noble and online at Amazon.com.

Ford will present the book throughout September beginning with a public reception from 3 to 6 p.m. today at the River Campus.