(CNN) -- Since former President Gerald Ford died Tuesday at the age of 93, CNN.com has received hundreds of e-mails from readers sharing their memories and personal experiences with the nation's 38th president.
Here is a selection of their stories, some of which have been edited for length and clarity.
Jon Freeman of La Verne, California
I remember having dinner at his son Steve's house, on Mothers Day, in the mid-80s. I asked if everyone had called their mom, Steve looked at the clock, and decided he still had time. The phone rang, it was the president, calling to remind his son to wish his mother Happy Mothers Day. [He was] a real human being, above everything else.
Sue Griffith of Downingtown, Pennsylvania
My memory of President Ford was in 1976 during the bicentennial celebration. I was only in third grade, but I vividly remember going to Valley Forge Park, watching the helicopter land and hearing his speech. What a great president and man. His accomplishments during his presidency will never be forgotten.
James Murrell of Marietta, Georgia
I met President Ford in 1974. He had just been appointed vice president. He and his wife were guests of honor at the National Press Club. A musical group I was with was being featured at the event. He talked with me and several of the other group members for quite a long time. He was a genuinely warm and friendly person, who was very approachable and easy to talk with.
Mary Alice Bertram of Evansville, Indiana
In June of 1976, our family had the privilege of visiting President Ford for our boys, John, 9 and David, 5 to sit in the chairs in the Oval Office. The invitation came as a result of a question asked by John at a rally in Evansville, Indiana. We were treated as graciously as if we were State Department guests. The time the president spent with our family is one of our most cherished memories. Our official White House photographs and presidential tie clasps are valuable possessions.
Jeffry Hatcher of Omaha, Nebraska
[He was] a true gentleman. I had the pleasure of dinner with him in the early 1980s while I lived in Michigan. He was cordial, and very funny. He told the joke that while playing golf he hit a birdie, eagle, moose, elk and a mason.
S. Norman of New York, New York
We will miss "Tough Turkey." [A friend] and I were at school in France and hung on all news out of the U.S. We took to calling President Ford "Tough Turkey" after reading that he told a reporter, "Congress expected a marshmallow, but I gave them tough turkey." We even sent for Whip Inflation Now buttons (WIN) and wore them all around Evian, France. Years later, I met President Ford and told him we were Young Republicans for Ford and thought he should have won in 1976 to which he replied,"And you were right."
Terry Day of San Mateo, California
I met Mr. Ford six months before he was named vice president. It was a small fundraiser and Mr. Ford gave a gracious speech to the party faithful. After the speech, I found myself alone with him and we talked football and local politics for at least 20 minutes. While he was the House minority leader, he was so normal and funny you just felt you were with a decent guy who knew how we lived. We were blessed to have a man of such decency in the White House.
George Hills of Lakewood, Colorado
Imagine my amazement when, while walking through the Cascade Village Resort area in Vail, Colorado, in the late 1980s, to have several black limousines pull up beside me and have the Secret Service and the Ford family get out of the vehicles directly beside me. I was surrounded by the agents. At one point I was directly behind President Ford. Turns out we were all our way to the movies. It was a crappy day to ski in Vail in March, and on the spur of the moment, my family and the Fords coincidentally decided to go see the new movie out at the time -- "Apollo 13." We wound up sitting in the row behind the presidential party, and enjoyed seeing the reaction of the president to several scenes portrayed by Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon. I was amazed that we were allowed to be so close to the president, and did not attract any interaction with the Secret Service.
Susan Geisler of Grand Blanc, Michigan
My grandmother knew President Ford, and had worked with Guy Van Der Jagt on his re-election campaign. In August of 1976, a call came to her house with a voice that said, "Hi, I'm Jerry. Is Norma there?" Wanting to run outside, I yelled out in my loudest voice, "Grandma -- it's the phone," and slammed it onto the counter. About an hour later, in her best "you are in hot water; come inside right now, young lady" tone of voice, she had me come in and stand in front of the television. Bob Dole came on for a presidential commercial. Then, the voice who was on the phone as "Jerry" came on and said, "I'm President Gerald R. Ford, and I approve this message." Talk about embarrassing moments.
Cindy Kerr of Frankenmuth, Minnesota
In 1975, my husband and I were at the Iowa State fair. He was in medical school in Des Moines and we needed something free to do. It was merely by coincidence that President Ford happened to be speaking that day. We entered the fair and noticed a crowd. As I walked on to see what the attraction was, I noticed the group seemed to part in front of me and there, standing right out in front of me, was President Ford. Probably alarming the Secret Service, I spoke out, "Mr. President, I'm from Michigan!" He grasped my hand and replied, "That's great!" He had such a firm handshake; I felt it for days.
Wendel Bauman of Mason, Ohio
My father shook President Ford's hand and told him to "keep the faith" while in Middletown, Ohio, during his presidency. The next morning, the newspaper had Ford's picture shaking my dad's hand in the crowd. The only regret is my dad asked me to go with him that day, and I refused.
Kenneth Broussard of Lafayette, Louisiana
In 1965, I was a young man working as a Capitol police officer. One of my assignments was to stand by the "Ev and Jerry Show," which featured minority leaders Everett Dirksen and Jerry Ford. What an opportunity for a young man to witness these great men really care about the important issues of the day and to work to do something for the country.
Richard Streich of Verona, Wisconsin
During the morning on a warm summer day in 1976, a Grand Rapids police officer stopped us. He mentioned President Ford was in town and the street was blocked for his motorcade. We got out or our car and watched the show of police cars, fire trucks, ambulances and other limos race by. Finally we saw President Ford's limo. Like small children, we were waving like crazy. President Ford turned at the last moment and gave us a big smile and waved. We were the only people who were standing on the curb. What a thrill for us to have a president wave and smile at us.
Robert Francis of Elkins, West Virginia
President Ford was my president. I was assigned to Camp David from 1975 to 1976 with the U.S. Marine Corps Security Company. I am very proud to have served this president, his family and guests. May God bless his soul.
Mark Shaffer of McHenry, Illinois
I was in the U.S. Air Force stationed at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom in 1975. President Ford was returning from Helsinki with Henry Kissinger and Elliot Richardson. They made a fuel stop at our base. Though they could have stayed on board, the president got off the plane and shook hands with the small crowd that had gathered. I was impressed with his approachable nature.
Marilyn Naito of Tallahassee, Florida
It was a sunny day in Williamsburg, Virginia. My husband, mom, sister, and my young daughter were with me on vacation and there was President Gerald Ford, riding through the historic district in George Washington's open horse-drawn carriage. I was able to get close and to take wonderful photos. I've met and photographed many presidents and celebrities, but this was such an unexpected delight and wonderful touch to our vacation.
Pam Lambert of Chicago, Illinois
[I] met then-Vice President Gerald Ford in high school. He responded to my [rude] teenage comment regarding "letting Nixon off the hook" by kindly telling me he would do what was best for the country, not Richard Nixon and that I would understand that when I was older. He did, and I did. I cast my first presidential ballot for him, the one and only time I have voted Republican.
Jeff Guillaume of Ann Arbor, Michigan
I was 18 years old in 1998 and met President Ford at a special event here in Michigan. I remember thinking how frail he looked, yet when he shook my hand later, he squeezed so hard it almost hurt. I'll always remember that stark contrast. Appearances can, indeed, be deceiving.
Henrietta Alves of New Orleans, Louisiana
While waiting outside the Rivermont Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, to see President Ford (1975?), I realized I was surrounded by official looking men. As one began to chat with me, he confided that they were Secret Service agents, concerned because I was dressed all in red. The two females who shot at him earlier that year had been dressed in red. They soon realized I was no threat, and I moved far to the side of the large crowd. I decided I might not be able to get very close, but perhaps I could get a better glimpse of him. When he exited the hotel, he turned and walked straight to me, shaking my hand! I had a terrible crush on him from that moment on.
Christopher Walsh of Montross, Virginia
It was 30 years ago in the final days of the 1976 election that I met Gerald Ford at Buffalo Airport. I helped on his campaign while I was a freshman in college. A political candidate invited me to be there to greet him. Jack Kemp was escorting the president, and introduced me. Ford was a little tired and his voice was hoarse. He shook my hand, looked at me and said, "Thank you for coming here tonight." I'll always remember that moment. He appreciated that an 18-year-old kid waited to see him. Ford will be remembered for restoring humility to the presidency.
Alice Wood of Exeter, New Hampshire
What I remember best ... was a school project my (then) 10-year-old daughter had back in 1990. She was to write a biography and report on a U.S. president, and she chose Gerald Ford. Frankly, with Abe Lincoln, FDR, JFK, etc. out there, we were surprised. Why choose Gerald Ford? Well, she wrote the report and sent a copy of it to President Ford. I had always heard that little children can see far more truths in character than we adults can, and that proved to be so, so true. Much to our amazement, she received a beautiful letter, signed by him, a few short weeks later. I couldn't help but think of what a gentleman he was, how kind to acknowledge a little kid's written project. That kind of integrity and true caring is sadly lacking these days.
Oriana Li Halevy of Los Altos, California
In December 1975, I had the honor of greeting and presenting flowers to President Gerald Ford and Mrs. Ford at the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. I was a kindergartener selected for the occasion. My fascination for a land called America and my American dream began on that momentous day when I first faced a multitude of Western journalists and cameras as President Ford held me high in his arms. I began mail correspondence with president and Mrs. Ford a few years later, and our correspondences continued for many years after my family and I emigrated to the U.S. In 1987, as an 11th-grader at Newburgh Free Academy in New York, I had a reunion meeting with President Ford at West Point. I will always remember his tall frame, kind smile, warm and gracious personality, encouraging words, and his fondness for the people and culture of China, the land of my birth.
Beth McCoy of Washington, D.C.
I was in fourth grade in 1975 when our teacher had us write letters to President Ford as part of our lesson on the presidency and the election process. In the closing of my letter, I told President Ford that I thought he was handsome but not to tell his wife. I was the only kid in my class to get back a signed photo! I currently work for the federal government in Washington, D.C., and I will be standing in line to pay my respects. My thoughts and prayers are with the Ford family.
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