Automotive enthusiasts recognize the Ford family for their mass production mastery and industrial innovations. Fords have established esteemed traditions in entrepreneurship, innovation, and philanthropy. From William Ford to his son, Henry, the brain behind Ford Motors, the family modernized America’s automotive industry during the Industrial Revolution.
Beyond their legacy, the Henry Ford family is built on influential figures in leadership and philanthropy. Today, Ford’s descendants have committed to businesses and automotive advancements. Want to know more about the family’s genealogy? Here is a one-stop Ford Family tree.
In this article
Part 1. Ford Family Tree
1st Generation: The Legend Henry Ford
Henry Ford was born into an Irish family and shared his childhood with six siblings. His parents, William and Mary Ford, ran a family farm in Michigan. Despite having a farm, Henry preferred working with machines early on.
Henry Ford's Spouse: Clara Jane Bryant
In 1885, Henry met Clara (who grew up on a neighboring farm) at Martindale House. Henry’s cousin Annie introduced them at a New Year’s dance. Three years later, in 1888, they were married. The couple gave birth to their only son, Edsel Ford, in 1893.
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2nd generation: Henry Ford's Son - Edsel Ford
Like his father, Edsel had been a tinkerer. He was a big name in the aviation industry and was called upon by the US government to develop an aircraft during WWII. Edsel also served as Ford's secretary in 1915. However, he soon died of stomach cancer in 1943.
Edsel Ford's Wife: Eleanor Lowthian Clay
Edsel married Eleanor Clay, the niece of a department store in Hudson. Together, the couple had four children, three boys and one girl.
3rd generation: Henry Ford's Grandkids
Edsel Ford and Eleanor had four kinds: 3 sons and 1 daughter. All four of them got married and had at least two kids. Up to now (Aug 2024), all Henry Ford's grandkids had passed away.
Grandson: Henry Ford II
Henry Ford II was born in Detroit to Edsel and Eleanor Ford in 1917. He remained the president of Ford Motor Company between 1945 and 1960 and served as CEO for the next nineteen years. Henry died of pneumonia in 1987.
Anne McDonell
Henry Ford II married Anne James F. McDonnell’s daughter in 1940. The couple had three children, Charlotte, Anne, and Edsel Ford II, before separation in 1964.
Grandson: Benson Ford Sr.
The second son of Edsel Ford I, Benson Ford Sr., was a businessman in the Automotive Industry. He worked in Ford Huge with his brother, Henry I. He also served as director and vice president of Ford Motors. He died in 1978 of alcohol poisoning.
Edith McNaughton
Edith McNaughton was Lynn McNaughton's daughter, Cadillac's general manager and former vice president. She married Benson Ford in 1941 in Detroit Christ Church. The couple had three children, Benson Jr and Lynn ‘Alandt’ Ford.
Granddaughter: Josephine Clay Ford
Josephine ‘Doddy’ Ford, born in 1923, was the only daughter of Edsel Ford. She was a Philanthropist and contributed significantly to the Detroit Institute of Arts and College for Creative Studies. Josephine died in 2005.
Walter Buhl Ford II
Walter Buhl Ford II was a big name in Detroit's chemical business. He married Josephine in 1943. They had two daughters, Eleanor ‘Nonie’ Clay Ford and Josephine ‘Joey’ Clay Ford, and two sons, Walter Buhl Ford III and Alfred Brush Ford. Later, Walter died of pancreatic cancer in 1991.
Grandson: William Clay Ford Sr.
William Clay Ford, born in 1925, was the youngest of the Ford siblings. He joined the US Navy Air Corps during WWII. William also sat on Ford’s board of directors for 57 years. Ford died of pneumonia in 2014.
Martha Parke Firestone
In 1947, William Ford married Martha Parke, the granddaughter of Harvey and Idabelle Firestone. Together, they hand four children: Sheila Ford, William Clay Ford Jr, Elizabeth Ford, and Martha Parke Ford.
Part 2. How do you make a family tree in EdrawMax?
Find it hard to plot genealogical relationships on paper? Try out flexible software like EdrawMax. It is an advanced diagramming software with family tree-specific editable templates and vector symbols. Here are a few steps to kickstart your journey to make functional family trees:
Before that, download, install, and launch the EdrawMax desktop. Log into your Wondershare ID. Or, use your social media account (Google, Facebook) to access the software.
Method 1: Make a Ford Family Free from Scratch
Step 1:
Visit EdrawMax Home and click Basic > Org Chart > Family Tree. Select a preferred layout from the options on the screen.
Step 2:
Once on the editing panel, go to the left-side symbol library and select Basic > Family Tree > Family Tree or Genogram. Now, you can drag symbols on the canvas and plot a rough layout.
Step 3.
Now that the outline is complete, add a description for each family member. Go to the Home tab on the top and click Text. Ideally, the description should include names and dates of birth/ death.
Step 4.
Remember, a good family tree always has pictures. So, go to the Insert tab on the top and click Pictures > Local Pictures.
Step 5.
Add a pop of visuals to your tree. Visit the Design tab on the top to change its color scheme, apply a theme, or add a background image.
Method 2: Start with a Template
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Step 1.
Press the Templates button from EdrawMax’s main menu and type Family Tree in the search box. It will display numerous options. Go through them, select one, and press Use Immediately.
Step 2.
Now, personalize the family tree. Replace pictures, add text, and adjust connections.
Step 3.
To change the template's colors, visit the Design tab on the top. Press the One-Click Beauty button to enhance the family tree visually automatically.
Step 4.
Export and Share. Your family tree is all ready to be downloaded.
So, press the Home icon on the top-left corner and click Export > Preferred Option. It allows exporting your diagram in 10+ formats, including Visio, PNG, and JPG.
Embed the diagram in the email by clicking Share > Link Share in the top-right corner.
Part 3. What is Wondershare EdrawMax?
Family dynamics are constantly evolving, making them confusing at first sight. Having to plot these relationships on a blank canvas becomes tedious and hectic. But no longer with EdrawMax. It is a digital diagram tool with an exclusive family tree maker. This advanced family tree maker features vector symbols, a massive template community, and AI tools. Here is why you should choose it over other drawing software.
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- Professionally Designed Symbols: It features 26,000+ vector symbols, including genograms and family trees. Plus, they have a drag-and-drop interface.
- AI Assistance: The software has launched a collection of AI tools to simplify diagramming. Some are AI drawing, AI text assistance, and Edraw AI chat.
- Template Community: EdrawMax has a massive template community with 20,000+ templates for 210 types of diagrams. All these examples are editable and free.
- Cross-Platform Support: EdrawMax is available on most devices, including MacOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Web.
- Customization Scope: It features several manual and automatic customization options. With this, you can scale diagrams and enhance their visual appeal.
Conclusion
Ford Motors, a successful family corporation today, was once established by a small American boy from a Michigan farm. Henry Ford, the mind behind Ford Motors, left a lasting impact on the US automotive industry. But the Ford family is much more. The Ford’s descendants have committed to their innovation, philanthropy, and business legacy.
The Ford family tree offers a quick genealogical summary. Want to make a similar family tree for your favorites? It is easier with EdrawMax’s editable templates. Give it a shot and cut the creation time to seconds.
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