Family of Elaine and Burdette Ford donate $22,500 to Tonica Grade School music program

Tonica Grade School received a donation from the family of Elaine and Burdette Ford.

Their sons, Dennis and Gary Ford, of Tonica; Roger Ford, of Phoenix, Ariz. and Duane Ford, of Covington, Ga., donated $22,500 to the school to support the music department. Dennis and Gary presented the donation at the March 17 board meeting.

The funds will be used to add music instruments for student use, instructional materials and other equipment to enhance the music program for the next several years.

Tonica Grade School officials said they are appreciative of the generous donation from the Ford family to the school.

Burdette was a local farmer who served as Cub Scout Master and Tonica High School Board in addition to serving on various Tonica United Methodist Church committees and worked with the Farm Bureau.

Elaine was a homemaker who also served on various Tonica United Methodist Church committees, directed the youth choir, sang in the adult choir, and served as a den mother. Elaine had a music degree from Wesleyan University, Bloomington, and Burdette had an engineering degree from Iowa State in Ames, Iowa.

Their sons, Dennis, Gary, Roger and Duane wanted to continue their support of local organizations by sharing some of their inheritance. Other local organizations supported from their donations include the Tonica United Methodist Church, the Tonica park, the Tonica Grade School Foundation and the Tonica Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Service.