Ormond Sherman Danford

Traverse City – On the burial monument for Ormond and Madge Danford, a line reads "Blessed to be a blessing". On June 7, 2012, Ormond Sherman Danford joined Madge Trahair Danford who had preceded him in death on March 13, 2004.

Over the years the pleasant and unpleasant happenings in Ormond's life would become the blessings which would form his character and define his values. Ormond was blessed to become a blessing to others.

On March 24, 1915, a male child was born in Ann Arbor, MI. Six months later he was adopted by Frank and Theresa (Vasey) Danford of Kingsley, MI. The Danfords had previously lost three children and the hope was that this adopted child would fill the void in Theresa's life. They named him Ormond Sherman Danford.

Before Ormond began school, the Danfords moved to Munising. Eventually Frank left and moved to Oregon. Theresa remarried. The family lived in Brown's Addition, the side of town with poor economic and social conditions. In spite of the poverty, Orm was a hard worker and loved to read. He was bright and skipped two grades graduating from Munising's Mather High School in 1931 at the age of 16. Disadvantages turned into blessings.

Theresa had died the previous December (1930). Orm found his adoption papers after her death and learned his step-father would not provide for him. The sensing of poverty and of "deceit" profoundly affected him. He learned he had to fend for himself to survive and that deceit is destructive. He began developing his "instinct" for judging a person's character, a trait that would serve him well. Living through the Great Depression only strengthened his convictions about his understandings and values that he wanted to instill in himself, his family, and those with whom he would be privileged to work with and come to know. Hardships turned to blessings.

Character building events continued. In Orm's writings beginning with 1930, he has chronicled "The Terrible Years of 1930- 1934". He recounts the death of his mother, the empty home, his last year at Mather High, going on the "bum – riding the rails" from Munising to Chicago and back; working for the U.S. Forest Service and being taken in by the Hanson family – a second adoptive family – and more. "Riding the rails" experiences…begging for a cardboard box to sleep in, a coat to wear, a blanket for warmth, rummaging for food, leaping on and off moving trains, meeting the best and worst of the hobos, fearing for his life…reinforced the lessons of survival. Lumberjacking in the UP and the CCC Camp job provided the source of income to start college and the opportunity to meet the Charlie and Mary Hanson family - all of whom became our family's "adoptive" family with lasting influence in our lives. These events led him to Michigan State College originally studying forestry and when after having contracted T.B. would finish with the blessings of a degree in education and a wonderful woman, Madge.

Orm and Madge were married in Lansing on May 28, 1938. Orm taught history in Fenton from 1940 to 1943. Trevor was born in 1942. Orm matriculated at U of M to study law. For the next two years, Madge and Trevor lived with Madge's parents and Orm worked three jobs to pay for his schooling. Orm and Madge were disciplined money managers. Having been very poor, they knew what "want" was, yet chose never to jeopardize the family's welfare by living beyond their means. These choices allowed them, in their quiet and unassuming character building ways, to give to or provide for others. The discipline of money management was a blessing to be passed on. Self-reliance and hard work assured the blessings of independence.

In 1945, law degree earned, the Danford family moved to Traverse City. Orm opened his law office. Judith was born in 1946. The years spent "in the office" and "on the bench" as municipal judge for Traverse City, were intertwined with community service. Orm served as president of the National Cherry Festival from 1949 to 1959, in 2001 he was honored to be the Grand Marshal of the Heritage Parade, and he was to have ridden in this year's parade. He served as president of the Grand Traverse Historical Society and later served on the Clark Historical Library Board of Central Michigan University. He taught extension courses for MSU and U of M, served in various capacities for Central Methodist and Williamsburg Methodist churches, the Whitewater Township Zoning Board, plus others, and played a major role in the creation of the Sleeping Bear National Park. He is often remembered for his letters to the editor of the Record Eagle. Through his work in and his giving to the community, many have been blessed.

In 1973 Orm and Madge moved to "the farm" on the Broomhead in Williamsburg, where since 1958 they had been acquiring land in Whitewater Township to create a working tree farm, again using his God given gifts to build a legacy for his family and to promote land conservation. In 1980 Orm and Madge were honored to be the National Tree Farmers of the year and traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Carter. For many years Orm and Madge had the Williamsburg United Methodist Church youth group sell Christmas trees. Over the years hundreds of families cut their own trees. They donated most all of the proceeds from the annual sales to the WUMC youth group and to other youth groups whose churches participated. Blessed with the land, the blessings of memories and benefits to youth have been passed on.

In his last three years while living in assisted living at Bay Ridge in Traverse City, Orm continued to be a blessing. He developed a very tight bond with his care givers and they with him. He adopted them, they adopted him, blessings abound.

Ormond is survived by his children Trevor (Jo) Danford of Beulah and Judith B. Danford of Traverse City; grandchildren, Joseph T. (Andrea) Hamilton of Stuart, FL, Mark Todd D. (Megan Curto) Hamilton of Traverse City, Sabra E. Danford of Melbourne, Australia; Nicholas T. T. Danford of Beulah; and two great grandchildren Gavin Parker Hamilton and Grant Todd Hamilton.

Memorial services will be held at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 7:30 PM with visitation beginning at 6:00 PM. Internment of Orm and Madge will be at a later date.

In remembrance of Ormond, bless others through your blessings. Memorials may be directed to Hospice of Michigan or to the National Writers Series scholarship fund. To contribute to the NWS, make checks out to National Writer Series, write NWS scholarship – O. Danford in the memo line, and send it to NWS c/o Megan Raphael, 812 E. State Street, Traverse City, MI 49686.

Kindly share your memories with the family on their online guest book at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com

Arrangements were made with the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.