Mattie Belle Ford

Mattie Belle Ford was born in Sweetwater, Texas on October 20, 1932, the second of 8 children born to Allie and Ida Tyler, and passed away in Midland on July 21 after a long illness. A celebration of her life will be held on October 25 at 11 a.m. at Nalley-Pickle & Welch in Midland.

Her childhood was spent in Sweetwater where she attended South Ward Elementary. This education was almost cut short when she and her best friend walked home for lunch on the first day of first grade and announced that they had learned everything they needed to know and would not be returning to school. She adjusted and excelled, and graduated from Newman High School in 1950 where she was active in the choir, Future Homemakers, journalism, and was elected Senior Class Favorite. She cherished her high school friends and never missed a class reunion.

In 1947 she met Clark Ford at a band Halloween party (though neither was a member of the band). They were married in September 1950. In 1952 Clark was drafted and she moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas to be with him during his service. In 1954 they settled in Sweetwater, where she worked in bookkeeping at First National Bank, and began their family when daughter Debra was born. In 1956, they decided to move to Dallas where Clark had a job selling insurance; however, the plans changed and he enrolled in TCU to pursue a career in ministry.  Mattie Belle was somewhat apprehensive about the role of a minister’s wife but Clark’s aunt, Olga Parker, assured her that she could just keep being who she had always been and would be an excellent preacher’s wife. While in Fort Worth, they served Midway Christian Church in rural Lamar County until 1960. Clark’s ministry took them to 4 congregations in western Kentucky while he attended seminary at Vanderbilt. In 1961 their son, Kenneth, was born.

In 1969 the family returned to Texas where they served First Christian Church in Pecos, the Central Area of the Christian Church in Abilene, and Memorial Christian Church in Midland. Clark said that if he sensed that a pulpit committee was hesitant to hire him, he would introduce Mattie Belle and their hesitation would be replaced by enthusiasm. In Pecos, Mattie Belle worked at First National Bank and at Pecos Furniture. She said her life changed forever with the birth of her first grandchild, Sean, in 1978. She doted on each grandchild and especially enjoyed the fact that they were born 5 years apart so she got 5 years with each “baby”. In Abilene she worked in the junior high school library and volunteered after school tutoring students in reading. She had a gift for teaching reading and phonics, and after retirement she assisted several immigrant families from China and Mexico in learning English and acclimating to their new country. In Midland, Mattie Belle worked at MHMR and CRC Wireline, until she retired to take care of a new granddaughter, Emily. After Clark retired in 1993, they moved back to Sweetwater and reconnected with many old friends, while serving interim ministries and making new friends at Disciples of Christ churches in Terrell, Lufkin, Brownwood, Dallas, El Paso, Abilene, Amarillo and Odessa. In 1997 they moved back to Midland and continued interim work until 2010.

Mattie Belle was preceded in death by her husband in March 2024 and by her parents, five sisters, and an infant brother. She is survived by her children, Debra and Bill Svoboda of Granbury and Kenneth and Jana Ford of Midland; five grandchildren, Sean and Katy Svoboda, Allison and Jonathan Warner, Emily and Weston Williams, Mackenzie and Chris Johnson, and Madison and Petie Staub; and six great-grandchildren – AnnMarie, Clark and Mary Claire Svoboda; Emma Warner, Clark Johnson, and Mattie Rose Williams; and one sister.

Memorials may be directed to Hospice of Midland or Juliette Fowler Communities, 1234 Abrams Road, Dallas, TX 75214.

To send flowers to the family or place a tree in memory of Mattie Belle Ford, please visit our Tribute Store.