Ross FERGUSON

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FERGUSON: Ross Goodrich Ferguson, 1920-2009. Ross Goodrich Ferguson was born on the family farm near Goodlands, Manitoba on March 8, 1920. As the only surviving child of John Percy and Mary Matilda (nee Perrin) Ferguson and the only grandson of Ranson Goodrich and Almira Ferguson, he grew up surrounded and cared for by many older family members. Therefore he especially cherished get-togethers with his two similar aged first cousins, Ruby Ferguson and Ila Main, who were both also only children. Ross attended school in Goodlands where he enjoyed playing the positions of catcher in baseball and goalie in hockey. He was an active and faithful member of the Goodlands United Church where he first saw his future wife, Joan Bunting of Kelwood, when she came to town to teach. They were married on July 2, 1949. Ross and Joan farmed until 1957 when they moved with their first three children to Brandon for a year. After training as an elevator agent in Souris, Ross then worked for Pool in Snowflake, Lena, Miniota and Regent before coming to Ninga with United Grain Growers in 1966. After Ross retired from grain buying and Joan from teaching, they ran the Post Office plus he worked every fall for nine years buying flax straw for Kimberley Clark. Ross and Joan lived happily in the midst of the Ninga community until moving to Boissevain in 1992. As their family responsibilities lessened, they camped from coast to coast across Canada as well as traveling to England, Australia and Singapore. Ross was an active volunteer in every community in which he lived. Most particularly he served the Ninga Community Centre starting with offering his garage as the coffee room while it was being built. He was the caller for fund-raising bingos for a dozen years and served so many evenings as ticket seller at the door that he was referred to by one youngster as ‘the man who owns the rink’. He was also a long serving member of Oddfellows and of Foresters from whom he received a fifty year pin. In addition he faithfully donated blood for almost five decades. However, it was his volunteer work within the United Church which was central to his life. He started teaching Sunday School while in his teens and then served as Sunday School Superintendent in Goodlands, Regent and Boissevain. Having been active at the Presbytery level for many years, he served a term as Chairman and was honoured to be selected as a Presbytery delegate to General Council meetings held in Halifax and Montreal. He participated in countless committees at St. Paul’s United with one of the most satisfying being the refugee committee formed to sponsor and support the father and four teenaged members of the Nguyen family from Vietnam. He and Joan cherished their life-long connections with this family and were deeply honoured to be invited to their weddings. Ross bore the devastating loss of his elder son, Ralph Goodrich Ferguson, in 1989. He was also predeceased by three siblings at their births, his parents, several cousins including Ila Brown (2002), his sister-in-law, Nancy Bunting (2001) and brother-in-law Ralph Bunting (2003). His passing on September 1, 2009 at Evergreen Place, Boissevain is mourned by Joan, his loving and devoted wife of sixty years, and by his three children: Phyllis and her husband, Lindsay Bottomer (North Vancouver, BC), John and his wife, Connie, (Potsdam, NY) and Patricia and her husband, Ron, (Regina, SK). He is also survived by his five grandchildren of whom he was so very proud: Jan and Tim Bottomer and Bree, Spencer and Reid Warsaba. In addition he is survived by his sister-in-laws, Mary Bunting, (Winnipeg) and Brenda Bunting (Red Deer, AB) as well as by his cousin, Ruby Powne, (Brandon) plus other cousins across the prairies. Donations may be made to Canadian Cancer Society or a charity of own choice. Flowers gratefully declined. Funeral service will be held on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. At the St. Paul's United Church Boissevain, MB. Messages of sympathy may be placed online at www.wheatlnd.comKillarney & Boissevain Funeral Homes entrusted with arrangements.

As published in Brandon Sun on Sep 05, 2009