Events this weekend in Omaha celebrate the life of President Gerald Ford on what would be his 100th birthday.
Ford was born Leslie King, Junior, on July 14, 1913, in Omaha. He spent the first few weeks of his life in Omaha before his family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. His mother remarried, and at age three his name was changed.
Lynne Ireland is Deputy Director of the Nebraska State Historical Society. "It’s a pretty small Nebraska connection, and yet Ford always spoke very fondly of Nebraska and the Republican support that he received from the state."
Ireland says the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center will host a free open house both Sunday and Monday. A naturalization ceremony will be held Monday at the Center, where 50 people from 25 countries will become new Americans.
The Center and Birthsite Gardens are located at 1326 South 32nd Street in Omaha.