Leslie Lynch King, Sr.

Leslie Lynch King Sr. (July 25, 1884 – February 18, 1941) was the biological father of U.S. President Gerald Ford. Because of his alcoholism and abusive behavior, his wife, Dorothy Gardner, left him sixteen days after Ford's birth. Personal life King was born in Chadron, Nebraska, the son of businessman Charles Henry King and Martha Alicia (née Porter) King. King attended military academy in Missouri. His father founded several small trading towns in Nebraska and Wyoming along the railroad. He also became a banker and was very successful. In 1905, the family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where his parents commissioned the construction of a large Victorian mansion. In May 1908, King, his father, Dana C. Bradford and H. C. Brome incorporated the Omaha Wool and Storage company, a business King would later take over. King was prone to violence, and in November 1908 he and his father were indicted for beating one of their employees. King's father later took a primary house in Los Angeles and since the company's business interests were largely in Wyoming, the younger King became the primary manager. King later took a residence in Los Angeles as well. Marriage and family