Death and state funeral of Gerald Ford grandchildren came to the museum that night and greeted mourners for several hours. Shortly after noon on January 3, Ford's body was removed from the museum and taken by motorcade to Grace Episcopal Church in East Grand Rapids, where a private funeral service was conducted Thousands of people lined the entire motorcade route to the church. During the service, eulogies were delivered by Donald Rumsfeld (President Ford's White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of Defense), former President Jimmy Carter, Richard Norton Smith (former Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum and a close personal friend of
Death and state funeral of Gerald Ford of Michigan Marching Band played ruffles and flourishes, "Hail to the Chief", Michigan's Alma Mater "The Yellow and Blue", and the university's fight song "The Victors", and a 21-gun salute was rendered as Ford's casket was transferred from the aircraft to the waiting hearse at Gerald R. Ford International Airport. The casket was then taken by motorcade to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids. A private service was conducted in the Museum. The presidents of the University of Michigan and Yale University, representing President Ford's college and law school education, laid wreaths, Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell