Loretta Elizabeth Ford (Churney), 79, originally from Streator, IL, passed away, Tuesday, April 26, 2011 in Sandwich, IL. She was born September 25, 1931 in Streator, IL the first daughter of George and Virginia (Lurz) Churney. After graduating from Streator High School in 1949, she met and fell in love with John (Jerry) Ford, whom she married February 23, 1952. Throughout their lives they resided in Morris, Minooka, Belvidere and Somonauk, Illinois at Lake Holiday where they spent the remainder of their 47 years of marriage together. Loretta worked at Caterpillar of Joliet and Sundstrands of Belvidere, She is best known for her career at Plano Molding Company where she was Executive Secretary to Mr. Robert Younger and Mr. Peter Henning until her retirement in 1992.

She is survived by her children: Deborah Ford-VanEtten of Sandwich; Cynthia
(Roger Lindsey) Musich of Earlville; Nancy (Thomas) Johnson of Sandwich, IL; Steven (Phyllis) Ford of Marseilles, IL; nine grandchildren, Rhonda (Frank) Graszer, Gerald (Samantha), Gregory (Sabrina) and Stephanie (Lyle) Johnson, Michelle Guier, Bethany, Carol Anne, Miles and Eric Ford; seven great-grandchildren, Teresa (Steve) Sanchez, Madison Sexton, Layton and Aiden Ross, Brooklyn and Gianna Graszer, and Wolfgang Guier; one great-great-grandson, Elijah Libner.

Loretta was preceded in death by her father, George Churney; mother, Virginia (Lurz) Churney; her sister, Jean (Churney) Ryan; her husband, Jerry Ford; father-in-law, William Lincoln Ford and mother-in-law, Collette G. (Grose) Ford.

Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, May 2, 2011 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Sandwich with Fr. Andrew Hougan officiating. Burial will follow at St. Paul's Catholic Cemetery in Sandwich. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m., Monday, May 2, 2011 at Burkhart-Eighner Funeral Home in Sandwich. For more information or to sign the online guest book, go to www.EighnerFuneralHomes.com