Mary Elizabeth Barger Ford's Obituary
Mary Elizabeth Barger Ford
02/23/1927-01/21/2025
Mary Alice Elizabeth Barger Ford, age 97, entered the Church Triumphant on January 21, 2025. She was a sixth generation East Tennessean who grew up in Cocke County, the daughter of Hunley E. Barger and Bessie Freshour Barger. Her beloved sister was Nell Blazer of Knoxville, Tennessee, who preceded her in death in 2022.
Mary graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in education in 1947-the same year she earned her pilot’s license at Island Home Airport. Following graduation, she taught at Lonsdale and Rule High Schools. She was a gifted teacher and life-long learner, earning a master’s degree in library science from the University of Tennessee in 1977. She married Dr. Nathan Ford in 1954 and moved back to Cocke County where she dedicated herself to raising her children and being a dedicated servant to the community through the Bread Basket, 4-H, Girl and Boy Scouts, Stokely Memorial Library, the Nolichucky Regional Library Commission, the Parent Teacher Association, the Tanasi Club and many other organizations. Her passion, though, was service to the Lord at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Newport where she was an adult Sunday School teacher and Altar Guild member her whole adult life.
Mary and her husband Nathan were kind and welcoming people who hosted countless socials at their home for friends and relatives. She was famous throughout the county for her delicious, but very unhealthy ice cream. Mary and Nathan were avid travelers and visited most of the states and countries on every continent except Antarctica. For nearly 70 years of marriage, Mary Ford, a lifelong Democrat, was madly in love with Nathan F. Ford, a life long Republican, who preceded her in death by 6 months. When Nathan was a candidate for public office, she begrudgingly voted in the Republican primaries to support him. She was a loving mother to her children and later their spouses, Beth Ford (Mike Driskill), John Ford (Lisa Wall), and Mark Ford (Jane Rodrigue). Her grandchildren are Gwyn Herbein (Matt), Gavin Driskill (Christine), and Zachary Ford and her great grandchildren are Olivia Herbein, Emory Driskill and Delaney Driskill.
Instead of flowers, please make gifts to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church or to a charity of your choice.
The funeral will be held on March 1, 2025, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 140 Lincoln Avenue at 10:00 followed by the receiving of friends and reception at the First Methodist Church, 212 Washington Avenue, Newport, Tennessee at 11:00am.
Funeral Arrangements entrusted to Costner-Maloy & Brown Funeral Home.
What’s your fondest memory of Mary?
What’s a lesson you learned from Mary?
Share a story where Mary's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Mary you’ll never forget.
How did Mary make you smile?