31 October 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – It’s been more than two years, and Sam Ford still does not have a grave marker for his late wife.
“Sort of ridiculous, and it seems that the people there don’t remember the last conversation you had with them. So you’re starting all over from scratch,” said Sam on Monday. “I thought it would be something that would be pretty simple, to get a marker, and it didn’t turn out to be. And I really didn’t want to be complaining about these people, but it just didn’t seem I was getting anywhere.”
Gloria Murry Ford died in August of 2021 after a lengthy stay in a Wichita hospital. Sam set up the funeral and said Gloria wanted to be buried in her native home of Wichita so she could be near her relative’s graves.
She was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Wichita.
“Wichita was a big part of her life and a growing part of my life. So, again, when this happened, you’re in mourning. You’re not thinking about all this stuff,” said Sam. “But then after a while, it’s like, ‘OK, where’s the marker?'”
KSN reached out to Maple Grove Cemetery. A spokesperson there gave KSN a statement about the marker for Gloria.
“There is a long timeline for markers right now, and there has continued to be a backlog at the manufacturer,” says the statement. “The cemetery is presently making efforts to verify the order of this marker.”
Sam says he just wants his wife to be honored with a marker he paid for back in 2021.
“And get it fixed, you know. I really don’t want to fight with these people. At all,” said Sam. “I just want them to put the marker on there like they promised and that I paid for.”