Hundreds of mourners filled the state Capitol on Sunday to remember the late U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford as a champion of the common man.
Wendell H. Ford Memorial Service, Sunday January 25, 2015
Credit Kenny Bishop
Ford died Thursday at his home in Owensboro. He was 90. He is the only Kentuckian to win consecutive terms as lieutenant governor, governor and U.S. Senator.
Ford's funeral is Tuesday, but Sunday at least five governors, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a host of other state and local elected officials attended a public memorial service.
Thomas L. Preston, Ford's senior adviser when he was governor, delivered the eulogy that emphasized Ford's belief that government exists for the sole purpose of serving people.
Ford's body lied in state in the Capitol rotunda for several hours on Sunday. His funeral will be in Owensboro.