Demonpenz
05-13-2009, 10:10 PM
http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10632378
Tom and Amy Ford of Ainsworth, Neb., buried their 16-year-old daughter last weekend.
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Ashley and Andrew Ford
Now the couple is planning a funeral for their 21-year-old son.
Ashley Ford and Andrew Ford died in traffic accidents within a week of each other.
A family friend, the Rev. Bruce Beebout of Valentine, said the Fords are coping with the deaths as best they can.
"Right now, they are just trying to survive," Beebout said.
Andrew died Monday in a collision on Nebraska Highway 20. He was a passenger in a 2009 Ford Explorer driven by his 19-year-old brother Adam.
The crash occurred just two days after Ashley's funeral. She died May 4 in an accident on her way to Ainsworth High, where she was a sophomore.
Jennifer Weiss, 20, of Ainsworth was a year behind Andrew in high school and at Chadron State College, where he was preparing for his senior year starting next fall.
She said her hometown of about 1,800 has been rocked by the deaths.
"I worked today in the grocery store and everyone was really straight-faced, having a hard time breaking a smile," Weiss said. "Everyone knows everybody else in town, so Andrew's death really hit hard."
Weiss said the Ford family is well-liked and respected.
Ashley took after her mother with a "sweet" disposition and "a very caring attitude," she said. Weiss played summer softball with Ashley.
Weiss said she could always hang out with Andrew at college because of their hometown bond. "He was really great, very easy to be around," she said.
Adam Ford was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon and was resting at home.
Tom Ford works for the KBR Rural Public Power District, while Amy is a licensed practical nurse at Brown County Hospital.
Darrell Peterson, superintendent of the Ainsworth Community Schools, said it has been an extremely difficult week for students and staff due to the deaths. Crisis teams have been on the scene to counsel students and staff, he said.
"We have received a great deal of support from community organizations, surrounding schools and the general public," Peterson said. "Our sincere condolences go out to the (Ford) family during this tragic time."
Andrew was a 2006 graduate of Ainsworth High.
In high school, he excelled at wrestling. He was named second-team all-state in Class C by the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association in his senior year.
Randy Rhine, vice president of student services at Chadron State, said Andrew was a good student who was on track to graduate in the spring of 2010.
Andrew, a business administration major with an emphasis in agriculture, was involved in student government and had just been elected as cultural affairs coordinator for the coming year.
Services for Andrew will be at 2 p.m. Friday at McAndrew Gymnasium on the Ainsworth Community Schools campus. It's the same place where Ashley's funeral was held.
Donations for a scholarship in the names of Andrew and Ashley are being accepted by the family.
Brown County Attorney David Streich said the Explorer driven by Adam Ford was eastbound and crashed into the back of a pickup truck at the end of a line of vehicles waiting for the OK to proceed at a construction site on Highway 20. The accident was about eight miles west of Ainsworth.
The pickup in turn pushed into the rear of a 1978 Ford F-150 driven by Mark Sedlacek, 30, of Ainsworth, who was not seriously injured.
Andrew was pronounced dead at the scene about 4:30 p.m. Adam and the pickup's driver, Doug Pankowski, 51, of Ainsworth were both taken to Brown County Hospital. Pankowski's injuries were not considered life-threatening.
All involved in the accident were wearing seat belts. Streich said several road signs were in place well in advance of the construction site.
Ashley died following a two-vehicle crash just northeast of Ainsworth, when the pickup she was driving collided with another pickup at the intersection of two county roads.
Tom and Amy Ford of Ainsworth, Neb., buried their 16-year-old daughter last weekend.
Click to Enlarge
Ashley and Andrew Ford
Now the couple is planning a funeral for their 21-year-old son.
Ashley Ford and Andrew Ford died in traffic accidents within a week of each other.
A family friend, the Rev. Bruce Beebout of Valentine, said the Fords are coping with the deaths as best they can.
"Right now, they are just trying to survive," Beebout said.
Andrew died Monday in a collision on Nebraska Highway 20. He was a passenger in a 2009 Ford Explorer driven by his 19-year-old brother Adam.
The crash occurred just two days after Ashley's funeral. She died May 4 in an accident on her way to Ainsworth High, where she was a sophomore.
Jennifer Weiss, 20, of Ainsworth was a year behind Andrew in high school and at Chadron State College, where he was preparing for his senior year starting next fall.
She said her hometown of about 1,800 has been rocked by the deaths.
"I worked today in the grocery store and everyone was really straight-faced, having a hard time breaking a smile," Weiss said. "Everyone knows everybody else in town, so Andrew's death really hit hard."
Weiss said the Ford family is well-liked and respected.
Ashley took after her mother with a "sweet" disposition and "a very caring attitude," she said. Weiss played summer softball with Ashley.
Weiss said she could always hang out with Andrew at college because of their hometown bond. "He was really great, very easy to be around," she said.
Adam Ford was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon and was resting at home.
Tom Ford works for the KBR Rural Public Power District, while Amy is a licensed practical nurse at Brown County Hospital.
Darrell Peterson, superintendent of the Ainsworth Community Schools, said it has been an extremely difficult week for students and staff due to the deaths. Crisis teams have been on the scene to counsel students and staff, he said.
"We have received a great deal of support from community organizations, surrounding schools and the general public," Peterson said. "Our sincere condolences go out to the (Ford) family during this tragic time."
Andrew was a 2006 graduate of Ainsworth High.
In high school, he excelled at wrestling. He was named second-team all-state in Class C by the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association in his senior year.
Randy Rhine, vice president of student services at Chadron State, said Andrew was a good student who was on track to graduate in the spring of 2010.
Andrew, a business administration major with an emphasis in agriculture, was involved in student government and had just been elected as cultural affairs coordinator for the coming year.
Services for Andrew will be at 2 p.m. Friday at McAndrew Gymnasium on the Ainsworth Community Schools campus. It's the same place where Ashley's funeral was held.
Donations for a scholarship in the names of Andrew and Ashley are being accepted by the family.
Brown County Attorney David Streich said the Explorer driven by Adam Ford was eastbound and crashed into the back of a pickup truck at the end of a line of vehicles waiting for the OK to proceed at a construction site on Highway 20. The accident was about eight miles west of Ainsworth.
The pickup in turn pushed into the rear of a 1978 Ford F-150 driven by Mark Sedlacek, 30, of Ainsworth, who was not seriously injured.
Andrew was pronounced dead at the scene about 4:30 p.m. Adam and the pickup's driver, Doug Pankowski, 51, of Ainsworth were both taken to Brown County Hospital. Pankowski's injuries were not considered life-threatening.
All involved in the accident were wearing seat belts. Streich said several road signs were in place well in advance of the construction site.
Ashley died following a two-vehicle crash just northeast of Ainsworth, when the pickup she was driving collided with another pickup at the intersection of two county roads.