Billy Graham’s last remaining sibling has died.
Franklin Graham took to social media Friday to announce that Jean Graham Ford passed away at age 91 on February 29.
“My Aunt Jean loved the Lord Jesus Christ, her family, her church and the work of God’s people around the world. She along with her husband, Dr. Leighton Ford, was always a great encourager to my father throughout his entire ministry. He sought her counsel on many issues during his lifetime,” said Franklin in a post on Facebook.
He continued saying that Jean and his uncle Leighton met at Wheaton College. Leighton went on to be a powerful evangelist, and he was thankful for the support and loyalty he received from his faithful wife, Jean.
“The Bible speaks of godly women who are worthy of praise: “a woman who fears the Lord she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31)”
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Franklin also talked about some of the memories his father would share of growing up on the dairy farm with Jean.
“He was the oldest of the four children born to my grandparents, Frank and Morrow Graham,” said Graham. “The youngest was his sister Jean who was still a child when my parents married in 1943. She was stricken with polio at age 11 that paralyzed her throat. Even at that time in her young life, and faced with the possibility of death as a child, she often said that it would not have bothered her [to die] so much because she knew she was going to heaven. She traced her faith back to her childhood, commenting that Jesus “was part of our family.”
Jean and Leighton’s oldest son, Sandy, died of a rare heart disease when he was just 21 years old. Franklin says Jean’s faith was exemplified during this time.
“We are thankful for her life that impacted so many when she would share her testimony, saying, “Sometimes it’s so difficult to trust our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet to me, there’s no option. That happened to be ingrained in me, my trust in what He promises; my trust in who I know Him to be.”
The family says they will miss her but look forward to eternity together.
This article was originally published at CHVN.
Journalist Colleen Houde is a news writer and on-air host at CHVN in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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