Irene Guinevere Ford

Irene Guinevere (Watkins) Ford
February 22, 1927 - March 26, 2023
El Dorado Hills, California -
Irene G. Ford, 96, died Sunday, March 26th, at home. Irene was the daughter of the late Henry C. P. Watkins and the late Irene Robertson Watkins. She was born in Fresno, where she grew up. She obtained a Bachelor's Degree in zoology from Fresno State College and a Master's Degree in education from the University of Kansas in Lawrence. There she met her husband of 67 years, Robert Whittier Ford, who preceded her in death in 2017. She taught grade school in Claycomo, MO for several years. She and Robert moved to California where she took a break from teaching to start a family. When the children were older, she went back to teaching. She taught second grade for over twenty years for the Rescue School District, first at Rescue School in Rescue, then at Jackson School in El Dorado Hills, where she was one of the founding teachers. She was a long-time member of Journey Church in Folsom, where she sang alto in the choir for many years.
Irene was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Ford, brother, Henry Watkins, half-sister Westra Ingalls and half-brother, Mahlon Watkins. She is survived by her son Keith Ford (Patricia) of Los Gatos, CA, daughter Rebecca Poole (Mark, late) of Gaffney, SC, and daughter Catherine Hack of Diamond Springs, CA as well as 15 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 2 PM Sunday, April 16th at Journey Church, 450 Blue Ravine Rd, Folsom, CA.