Lena Belle (Mansfield) Ford Bridgeforth of Mountain View, Missouri, daughter of Charles B. and Sylvia Belle (Bumgardner) Mansfield, was born on June 18, 1934. She departed this life at 7:42 a.m., January 14, 2024, at Mountain View Healthcare at the age of 89 years.
Lena married Richard L. Ford in April of 1955, and together, during their 33 years of marriage, they raised four children, Glenda Marie, Richard Carey Charles, William Fredric Scott, and Sylvia Faith. In June of 1990, she married JD Bridgeforth and resided in Springfield, Missouri, until 2016, when their deteriorating health necessitated their moving back to the Mountain View area.
Lena is preceded in death by her parents, Charlie and Sylvia; her ex-husband, Richard; her daughter, Glenda; her great-grandson, DeWayne Hayes; her husband, JD; sister-in-law, Raiko Mansfield; and brother-in-law, Freddie Miller.
Survivors include her sons, Carey and wife, Judi of Boca Raton, FL, and Scott and wife, Rita of Mountain View; daughter, Faith and husband, Darrell of Mountain View; brother, Freddy Mansfield of Ridge Crest, CA; sister, Edna Miller of Monroe, LA; 11 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; 11 great-great-grandchildren; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Lena was saved, baptized, and a member of Pilgrim Rest Church. She was a fierce, spunky, and determined little redhead. You could not tell her that she couldn’t do something, and above all, you didn’t dare her because she would do it just to show you she could. She loved her family and would move heaven and earth to be there for each of them. She was a hardworking woman who lied about her age so she could go to work before she was actually old enough, and cried when she was well past retirement age and was faced with mandatory retirement. Beyond working, she was just as driven toward volunteerism and served on many committees and boards throughout her life as well as fundraising activities, including the Mountain View Elementary Gong Show with Ned Reynolds and played the role of Minnie Pearl in the Haw Hee Variety Show held every Halloween during the Jubilee in downtown Mountain View for several years. She was “just so proud to be here.” Lena needed to be doing, and she needed to be needed, and she certainly was.
Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 18, 2024, at Yarber Mortuary, Mountain View, Missouri, with Bishop Ron Webb. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 1-2:00 p.m. also at the funeral home. Condolences may be expressed at www.yarbermortuary.com.
