(CP) Jean Graham Ford, the last remaining sibling of renowned evangelist Billy Graham, died last week on the age of 91, her nephew, Franklin Graham, announced in a Facebook post reflecting on her legacy and love for the Lord.
“My Aunt Jean loved the Lord Jesus Christ, her family, her church and the work of God’s people world wide. She, along together with her husband Dr. Leighton Ford, was at all times an amazing encourager to my father throughout his entire ministry. He sought her counsel on many issues during his lifetime,” Graham, who leads Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, wrote.
“Aunt Jean and Leighton met at Wheaton College. Uncle Leighton went on to be a strong evangelist and was thankful for the support and loyalty of his faithful and loving wife. The Bible speaks of godly women who’re worthy of praise: ‘a lady who fears the Lord she shall be praised’ (Proverbs 31).”
Graham revealed his father and his aunt shared an in depth bond, formed of their early years on the family dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Jean was the youngest of 4 children born to Frank and Morrow Graham. She was 14 years younger than Billy Graham, whom she called “Billy Frank.”
Despite facing a difficult childhood, including being stricken with polio at age 11, Jean’s faith remained unshaken, he said. Graham recounted her saying that the potential of death as a toddler didn’t hassle her much as she knew she was going to Heaven.
“She traced her faith back to her childhood, commenting that Jesus ‘was a part of our family,'” he said.
“She exemplified this when her and Leighton’s oldest son, Sandy, died of a rare heart disease on the young age of 21. Sandy’s testimony for the Lord lives on to at the present time, and so does the testimony of Jean Graham Ford,” Graham continued.
“We are thankful for her life that impacted so many when she would share her testimony, saying, ‘Sometimes it is so difficult to trust our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet to me, there is not any option. That happened to be ingrained in me, my trust in what He guarantees; my trust in who I do know Him to be.'”
Graham expressed his prayers and condolences to Leighton Ford, their son, Kevin, and daughter, Debbie, acknowledging Jean Graham Ford’s life as “well-lived.”
Billy Graham died at 99 in 2018; Catherine Graham McElroy died in 2006 at 86, and Melvin Graham died in 2003 at 78.
In 2018, Jean spoke at Billy Graham’s funeral in Charlotte.
She shared that when she heard the news of her brother’s death she was reminded of the hymn, “Heaven Came Down and Filled My Soul With Glory.”
“On February the twenty first, Heaven got here down and took my brother from me,” she said. “One day, Heaven will come down and take me. And I do know what [my brother] would want me to say today is, ‘Heaven is coming again and would love to take you furthermore may.'”
