Wendell Ford to be 21st person to lie in state in Kentucky Capitol
FRANKFORT — Wendell Ford, who served four terms in the U.S. Senate after being governor of Kentucky, on Sunday will be the 21st person in Kentucky's history to lie in state in Kentucky's Capitol.
The honor usually is bestowed by the sitting governor, said David Buchta, director and state curator of the Kentucky Division of Historic Properties.
People so honored include pioneer Daniel Boone, Kentucky Fried Chicken originator Harland Sanders and several governors.
A public memorial service for Ford, who died Thursday morning at age 90 in his home in Owensboro, will be held in the Capitol Rotunda at 3 p.m. Sunday.
He will lie in state from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and after the service until 6 p.m. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church in Owensboro.
Tributes have poured in for Ford from dignitaries including President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Kentucky's congressional delegation, state officials and even his neighbors in Owensboro.
On Friday morning, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Louisville, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, introduced a resolution in the U.S. Senate honoring Ford.
Gov. Steve Beshear said Thursday that Ford was worthy of the honor to be memorialized in the Capitol Rotunda.
Regarding the list of those who have lain in state, questions still surround the final resting place for Daniel Boone and his wife, Rebecca.
Kentucky claims their bodies were disinterred and now lie in the Frankfort Cemetery. Missouri claims the couple is there. He died in 1820, and she died in 1813.
Buchta said the state historic properties division counts them as lying in state in Kentucky because of various reports but notes there was no photography at the time to provide documentation.
The current Capitol with its Rotunda has been in place since 1910. The old Capitol is in downtown Frankfort. It was constructed from 1827 to 1830.
This story was originally published January 23, 2015 at 5:59 PM with the headline "Wendell Ford to be 21st person to lie in state in Kentucky Capitol."