John Cleophus Ford
Incident
Guard Johnnie Ford drowned while searching for two escaped prisoners in Sugarland, Texas.
At approximately 2:45 p.m., Guard Ford had taken a squad of convicts to cut wood near the Brazos River about seven miles from the prison farm. Two of the prisoners fled into the woods and river bottoms. Guard Ford and several other guards pursued the convicts. The officers were on horseback and located a spot on the river where they thought the prisoners had crossed. Guard Ford started across the river when his horse floundered, and he fell into the river. Ford went under, came to the surface, and disappeared. The horse went on across the river. The other guards dragged the river and later recovered his body.
Guard Ford had served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for approximately nine years, assigned to the Central State Prison Farm.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
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- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Guard Ford gave the Texas Department of Criminal Justice 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Guard Ford.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Accident
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has lost 124 officers; 32 of them lost to accidents.
John is one of 657 officers lost to accidents in TX, 27.1% of the 2,422 remembered there.
John is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.
John is one of 10,100 officers lost to accidents worldwide, 29.8% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1937, 1 officer at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division was lost to accidents, the 5th heaviest of 28 years on record. The heaviest was 1971, with 2.
In 1937, 5 officers in TX were lost to accidents, the 54th heaviest of 136 years on record. The heaviest was 1994, with 14.
In 1937, 95 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 10th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.
In 1937, 109 officers worldwide were lost to accidents, the 8th heaviest of 200 years on record. The heaviest was 1930, with 131.
Who
John was 36. Of the 32 lost to accidents at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division whose age is recorded, half were between 33.8 and 51.3; the middle age was 43.5. John had served 9 years; the middle length of service was 9 years.
John was 36. Of the 626 lost to accidents in TX whose age is recorded, half were between 28 and 46; the middle age was 36. John had served 9 years; the middle length of service was 5 years.
John was 36. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. John had served 9 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
John was 36. Of the 9,451 lost to accidents worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 45; the middle age was 36. John had served 9 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
October holds 9.4% of these deaths at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division; January holds the most, 12.5%. Mondays: 21.9%.
October holds 9.7% of these deaths in TX; December holds the most, 11.7%. Mondays: 12.8%.
October holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Mondays: 13.4%.
October holds 9.2% of these deaths worldwide; August holds the most, 9.3%. Mondays: 13.5%.
How
Accident deaths account for 25.8% of all 124 deaths at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 27.1% of all 2,422 deaths in TX, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 29.8% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the 2nd most common cause.
His people
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.
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James Monroe Butler May 25, 1882
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George W. Taylor Mar 15, 1884
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Isreal S. Ewan Dec 8, 1887
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Joe Epperson Apr 29, 1889
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Benjamin Williamson Jun 30, 1890
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Jesse F. Goodwin Jul 16, 1890
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James Jackson Dec 15, 1890
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C. B. Foster
Dec 4, 1894
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H. D. Parsons Jul 26, 1898
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Frank Miller Oct 7, 1899
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Joseph F. Wilkerson Apr 23, 1906
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James Elliot Jul 17, 1908
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John L. Wylie Apr 22, 1909
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Charles E. Claiborne Aug 9, 1915
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Walter Isaac Vandorn Aug 12, 1916
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Dewitt Frisby Oliver Sep 17, 1921
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Early A. Lott Mar 25, 1926
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William M. Rader
Jul 22, 1926
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Deb Edward Long
Feb 2, 1928
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Henry Ward
Jul 27, 1928
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Sidney Albert Syms
Sep 29, 1928
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Tommy Mellie Starnes Jun 11, 1931
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James B. Sneed Jul 6, 1931
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John R. Hinson
Nov 3, 1932
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J R McCall Aug 27, 1933
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Major Joe Crowson
Jan 27, 1934
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Virgil Welch
May 10, 1935
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Felix Smith Jun 19, 1936
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George Washington Shiflett
Dec 8, 1936
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John Cleophus Ford
Oct 4, 1937
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John R. Greer Aug 27, 1938
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George T. Preston
Jun 20, 1944
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Benjamin Franklin LaRue
Nov 23, 1946
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Guy Holman, Sr. Jun 29, 1947
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Charles Jesse Baker Jul 21, 1959
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Bobbie B. Bullard
Jun 6, 1963
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George Alan May
Sep 17, 1971
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Robert Alexander Arrington Sep 17, 1971
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Nolan Buckhanan
Jun 14, 1972
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Edward Carter May 31, 1976
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John B. Brown Jul 18, 1977
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Cephus D. Burson Oct 1, 1980
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Wallace Milton Pack
Apr 4, 1981
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Billy M. Moore
Apr 4, 1981
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Dalton B. Cawthray Jan 5, 1984
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Robert A. Hunt Jun 6, 1984
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Minnie R. Houston
Jun 3, 1985
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Joe F. Gurney
Aug 12, 1988
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Sidney L. Lyons
Nov 19, 1989
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Stephen Glenn Stewart
Jan 7, 1994
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Timothy Parsley
Oct 1, 1996
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James Dimanoff Oct 14, 1997
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Bill C. Himstedt
Aug 7, 1998
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Francisco F. Garza
May 31, 1999
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Wilmot A. Burnett
Dec 16, 1999
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Daniel James Nagle
Dec 17, 1999
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Stanley A. Wiley
Jan 29, 2003
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John Murphy Bennett
Jul 17, 2003
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Susan Louise Canfield
Sep 24, 2007
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Barbara Leggett Shumate
Jun 13, 2008
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Kellie Pena
Sep 3, 2010
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Craig Allan Orrell May 12, 2011
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Christopher A. Davis
Jan 14, 2015
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Eligio Ruiz Garcia, Jr.
Jan 14, 2015
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Timothy A. Davison
Jul 15, 2015
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Mari Anne Johnson
Jul 16, 2016
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Shana Renee Tedder
Jun 9, 2017
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Kelvin D. Wilcher
Apr 6, 2020
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Jonathon Keith Goodman, Sr.
Apr 21, 2020
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Coy Dale Coffman, Jr.
Apr 26, 2020
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James David Coleman
Apr 28, 2020
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Jesse Wayne Bolton
May 8, 2020
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Maria Luisa Mendez
May 9, 2020
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Thomas Adedayo Ogungbire
Jun 11, 2020
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Kenneth Wayne Harbin
Jul 4, 2020
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Jerry Esparza
Jul 15, 2020
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Jackson M. Pongay
Jul 19, 2020
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Ruben Martinez
Jul 23, 2020
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Eric Trivonte Johnson
Jul 27, 2020
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Lebouath A. Boua
Aug 12, 2020
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Elizabeth A. Jones
Aug 15, 2020
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Herbert James Garcia
Aug 17, 2020
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James Willard Weston, Jr.
Aug 26, 2020
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Donald Eugene Parker
Oct 1, 2020
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Rodrick L. Rodgers
Nov 11, 2020
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Timothy Lee Beggs
Dec 9, 2020
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Harold Paul Smith, Jr.
Dec 15, 2020
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Phillip D. Holbert
Dec 27, 2020
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Joe Charlie Landin
Dec 28, 2020
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Randall Lewis Sims
Jan 3, 2021
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Treva T. Preston
Jan 15, 2021
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Alfred Jimenez, Jr.
Jan 15, 2021
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Maria Garcia
Jan 22, 2021
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Vickie V. James
Feb 10, 2021
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Taiwo Caroline Obele
Feb 16, 2021
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Tracey Annette Adams
Mar 6, 2021
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Luis Arturo Hernandez, Sr.
Mar 31, 2021
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Jimmy Garcia
Apr 15, 2021
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Daniel Joseph Giorgi
Jul 25, 2021
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Joe Martin Olivares
Aug 18, 2021
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Lakeisha Monique Brantley
Aug 31, 2021
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Honorato Antones
Sep 3, 2021
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Glenn R. Skeens, Jr.
Sep 7, 2021
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Codie Whitley-Turner
Sep 9, 2021
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Echo Rodriguez
Sep 12, 2021
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Shad Eugene Hammond
Sep 13, 2021
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Jose Angel Hernandez
Sep 13, 2021
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Christopher Damon Watson, Sr.
Sep 15, 2021
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Cleadas Gilberto Sherman
Sep 22, 2021
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Charles Ronald Hughes
Sep 25, 2021
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Connell Foreman
Sep 25, 2021
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Melissa Ruth Maldonado
Oct 3, 2021
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Thomas Scott Collora
Oct 5, 2021
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Garland Chaney
Oct 5, 2021
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Kevin Dupree
Nov 2, 2021
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Mark Allen Loecken
Jan 10, 2022
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Darrell Avery
Feb 6, 2022
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John Baron Broadaway
Feb 8, 2022
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Kay W. Zeger, Jr.
Feb 13, 2022
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Jose Ruiz
Mar 1, 2022
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 31-E
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Others Who Wore This Badge
123 officers from Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.















