The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-06-27
Ebb J. Ford,
Eminent Lawyer,
Dies AT Hospital

EDD j, FOrd, a leading PaSca-
goula citizen and a prominent at
torney throughout the state, died
Wednesday night at the Founda-
ton hospital in New Orleans
where he underwent an opera
ton about ten days ago. He was
81 years old and had served as
district attorney and as mayor of
Pascagoula.
The body was brought to Pas
cagoula on the noon train from
New Orleans Thursday and taken
to Fails Funeral Home on North
Magnolia street where it will re-
main until the hour of the funeral
Services will be conducted from
Fails Funeral Home at 2:30 p. M,
Friday and from the Methodist
church on South Pascagoula street
at 3 p. m, followed by interment
in Pascagoula. Names of pail
bearers were not available as this
newspaper went to press.
Rhodes Scholar
Mr.. Ford was born in Columbia,
Miss, March %, 1886, the son of
Thomas S. Ford and Clarissa
Rawls Ford, His father was a we'll
known attorney in Mississippi and
served as attorney general for
four years. The family moved to
Pascagoula when Mr.. Ford was a
boy but after the death of his
father in 1887 during the yellow
fever epidemic he returned to
Columbia where he was reared
He attended Webb School at
Bellbuckle, Tenn, and the Uni
versity of Mississippi and it was
while he was at the university
that he was chosen as the first
Rhodes scholar from the state of
Mississippi.
He took up law while attending
Oxford University in England.
He was admitted to the bar in
Mississippi in 1909 and opened up
a law office in Pascagoula. He
was elected mayor shortly after
and served for four years. He was
then appointed district attorney
to fill an unexpired term and
during the time of holding this
office he moved his residence to
Gulfport.
Elected District Attorney
In 1915 he a for election to
the office of district attorney
and was elected by a large major
ity but in December of that same
year he resigned, following the
death of his cousin. J. l. Ford,
ST., to become a member of the
firm of White and Ford. The SEN
ior partner in the firm was the
late Judge w. A.. White of Gulf
port. At the time of Mr.. Ford's
the firm was Ford and
Ford in which the other partner
is j. l. Ford. From that time on
he devoted himself to his private
practice.
Mr.. Ford served as chairman
of the democratic executive COM
mittee for a number of years and
the war he served as APP
agent for the draft board.
About the time he was admit
ted to the bar in Mississippi he
married Miss Eva Foster, daugh-
ter of John and Olivia Delmas
members of we'll known
families here. Her father was a
marine engineer and operated a
wholesale fish business.
Born to them were three sons,
Ebb J. Ford, Jr., Robert S. Ford
and Charles w. Ford, all of Pas
cagoula who survive him. In ad-
dition to his widow and sons he
survived by five grandchildren:
four sisters. Mesdames G. c. Max
well, M. H. Colbert, r. r. Grit
fifth and Ollie Robertson, all of
Columbia, Miss; and two broth
ers, Joseph S. Ford. Aromas.
and H. c. Ford, New Or
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Ford have
been widely known in Pascagoula
social circles as well as through
Mr.. Ford's professional life. He
was a member of the First Moth