Moreland resident Brenda Ford
makes things work.
For many years, she worked second shift at the
Cleveland Clinic, which meant she left for work just before
her kids arrived home from school. Fortunately, husband
Larry was home for the evening after his day as a postal
carrier, but how does a mom get to see her kids with a
tricky schedule like hers?
Brenda figured it out: She showed up at school during
the day, again and again. She worked as a lunch aide at all
four of the Ford kids’ schools (all attended Shaker schools),
even when her kids might rather have pretended parents
don’t exist. Anytime there was a chance to be involved with
her kids’ school lives – PTO, choir, Ropes of Thunder jump
rope, drama – Brenda made sure she was there whenever
she could be. Larry teases, though, that Brenda was banned
from watching their late-blooming son play football. He was
small, and the other kids were big. A mother might cry out
at a game for all to hear, “Don’t hurt my baby!”
Brenda and Larry’s story starts long before middle
school football games. They both graduated from Glenville
High School, but were a few years apart – Larry was older
– and did not know one another. It was the 1960s, and the
Vietnam War was underway. Brenda, quick to take action
as always, volunteered to write to soldiers she didn’t know,
some of whom got no mail. She’d send chatty letters,
comics clipped from the newspaper, and sometimes even
records of the latest hit songs. Brenda’s uncle knew Larry,
who was in the Marines, and she wrote to him too.
40 WINTER 2022 | WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
By the time Larry came home, they were friends. Larry
took her to her senior prom. To his surprise, Brenda’s cousin
congratulated him. “For what?” Brenda’s cousin had heard
that Larry was marrying Brenda. Where had he heard that?
Well, from Brenda. So imagine Larry’s surprise when he
proposed, and she said no. A few more tries later, Brenda
did say yes, and they were married later that year. That was
1970. Before becoming engaged, Brenda had planned to
go to Kent State University. She believes that her family
said yes to her marriage in part because Kent State made
them nervous for Brenda’s safety after the tragic events of
May 4, 1970.
In 1980, Brenda and Larry moved to their Chelton
Road home, where they have lived ever since. Like so
many Shaker families, they came in search of good schools.
Always ready to pitch in, Larry has served as president of
the Moreland on the Move Community Association, and he
was also the longtime hot-dog griller at the annual Chelton
Park picnic. Brenda, too, always stayed involved, especially
when the neighbors got together and worked to re-do
Chelton Park for younger children in the early 2000s in
collaboration with the City.
The Fords are retired now and busy with their
11 grandchildren. For them, Witness to History was another
enjoyable way to connect with neighbors, just as they
have always done. “I was glad I was able to tell my story,”
says Brenda.
For the full Witness to History interview with Larry and
Brenda Ford: bit.ly/larryandbrendaford
BRENDA
& LARRY
FORD
A Can-do
Spirit
/WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
/brendaandlarryford