President Ford - 1913-2006

Michigan's own.

No one could have foreseen that the lessons of integrity Gerald R. Ford learned while growing up in Grand Rapids would carry him to the pinnacle of power, help him restore dignity to the White House and heal the wounds of Watergate and Vietnam.

But that is the word -- integrity -- most often used to describe Mr. Ford, who died late Tuesday at the age of 93.

"He certainly was a man of integrity, but also a man of courage," said U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers, who occupies the congressional seat Mr. Ford held for 26 years. "He had the courage to do what was necessary. He healed the political wounds and got the nation onto what I call political stability."