Leslie Lynch King Sr.
| Leslie Lynch King Sr. | |
|---|---|
Leslie Lynch King Sr., circa 1900
|
|
| Born |
Leslie Lynch King July 25, 1884 Chadron, Nebraska, United States |
| Died | February 18, 1941 (aged 56) Tucson, Arizona, United States |
| Resting place |
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, United States |
| Known for | Biological father of Gerald Ford |
| Spouse(s) |
Dorothy Ayer Gardner (1912–1913) Margaret Atwood (1919–1941) |
| Children |
Gerald Ford (1913–2006) Marjorie B. King (1921–1993) Leslie Henry King (1923–1976) Patricia Jane King (1925-1980) |
| Parent(s) |
Charles Henry King Martha Porter King |
Leslie Lynch King Sr. (July 25, 1884 – February 18, 1941) was the biological father of U.S. President Gerald Ford. Because of his alcoholism and abusive behavior, his wife, Dorothy Gardner, left him sixteen days after Ford's birth. King is believed to have seen Ford only once while he was in high school.
King was born in Chadron, Nebraska, the son of businessman Charles Henry King and Martha Alicia (née Porter) King. King attended military academy in Missouri. His father founded several small trading towns in Nebraska and Wyoming along the railroad. He also became a banker and was very successful. In 1908, the family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where his parents commissioned the construction of a large Victorian mansion.
In May 1908, King, his father, Dana C. Bradford and H. C. Brome incorporated the Omaha Wool and Storage company, a business King would later take over. King was prone to violence, and in November of 1908 he and his father were indicted for beating one of their employees. King's father later took a primary house in Los Angeles and since the company's business interests were largely in Wyoming, the younger King would become the primary manager. King would later take a residence in Los Angeles as well.
While one of his sisters, Marietta, was at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, King met and courted her roommate, Dorothy Ayer Gardner of Harvard, Illinois. They were married on September 7, 1912 at Christ Episcopal Church. Dorothy and King returned to Omaha where King was working. King was ten years older than his wife. When they returned to Omaha, Dorothy discovered that King was not as wealthy as he claimed, in fact he was deep in debt. On their honeymoon to the West Coast and then in Omaha, King abused his wife, and eventually threw her out. Dorothy returned to her parents' home in Illinois, and a few weeks later Leslie came to their home and Dorothy agreed to return to Omaha with him
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