Ferguson

(submitted by Dorothy Ferguson Wilcox and Margaret J. E. Ford)

Peter James Ferguson was the fifth son of Gaelic speaking Highlanders from Perthshire, Scotland who settled in Lanark County, Upper Canada in about 1818. Peter and his brother Hugh worked on the building of the railroad north of Lake Superior until 1888, when Hugh was killed on the job. Peter then followed some of the family that had moved to Lambton County.

For a few years Peter worked for Archie Ferguson (no relation) in Plympton Twp. Then in 1893 he purchased 100 acres from Peter and Isabella McRorie on the east ½ of Lot 3, Con. 1 NER. The cost was $3,000.

In 1896 Peter married Janetta Christina McRorie, the eldest daughter of William and Helen (McDiarmid) McRorie. She had attended Alma College in St. Thomas and later gave piano lessons. She drove to her student’s homes with her horse and buggy or cutter. Janetta also played the pump organ at the Warwick Methodist Church.

Peter (1858–1938) and Janetta (1872–1946) Ferguson had four sons: Stacey, Carman, William and Hugh, who all became farmers. In 1914 Peter bought the farm to the east, the west ½ of Lot 4, Con. 1 NER for $6,300 and moved there. Peter nearly died with blood poisoning one year, but the doctor said he survived because of good living, natural strength and Epsom salts used internally and externally. This left his one hand deformed and in later years he playfully asked his grandchildren to use their little toy hammer to straighten his fingers and they would gently try.

Peter imported a purebred Clydesdale mare from Scotland which had a line of descendants as workhorses. Some of their names were Violet, Belle, Nellie and Bess.

Peter and Janetta’s son, Stacey Wilbur (1898–1971), attended SS#15 on the Egremont Rd., with 80 students in one room. The teachers at the time were Mr. Robert McKinlay, who later became a doctor, and Miss Mary Ann Waugh. Stacey attended Forest High School for one year and then worked at home on the farm. When he was twenty he attended the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph for one year, where living in residence cost $4 per month.

Stacey married Olive Winnifred Burton (1893–1980), the second daughter of Rev. Charles Burton and Annie (Slack) Burton. In 1925, they acquired the first Ferguson farm and lived there for 49 years. Olive had first been an elementary school teacher and later went to Victoria University in Toronto where she studied Household Science. She then went to the College of Education and taught High School in Leamington and Kitchener.

Stacey and Olive had four daughters, Dorothy Winnifred (1923–), Margaret Jean Elizabeth (1925–), Olive Joyce (1928–) and Florence Carol (1933–). The girls had to work hard on the farm. They had no hydro so water was pumped by windmill. If the wind failed, water for all the pigs, cattle, turkeys and chickens was pumped by hand and also carried by hand to the house for drinking and washing.

Stacey suffered from several accidents. He was blinded in one eye by a lightning bolt which ran down the screen door and killed the dog just outside the screen. He lost some fingers in the gears of the corn binder and buzz saw. Dorothy, Margaret and Joyce stayed home from high school to help on the farm. This was permitted for farm work during World War II.

Stacey was very musical. He led the Warwick  United Church choir and played the violin until he lost his fingers. He sang tenor, and along with Fred Tribbeck, Vera Ellerker and Mrs. Brush had a quartet which sang at various functions. Olive taught adult Sunday school at the Warwick United Church for many years and enjoyed oil painting.

Carman Harold Ferguson (1900–1972) also attended the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph. He farmed for a few years in Twp. on Hwy 7 and then worked at Polymer in Sarnia until he retired. He was artistic and did some paintings in oils. He married Eva Lorena Wells (1907–1988) who later was a clerk at the Farmer’s Store in Forest. Carman and Eva had four children, Norma Florence (1929–), Raymond Blyth (1931–), Douglas James (1935–) and Roger Carman (1941–).

William Alexander (1905–1984) was the third Ferguson born to Peter and Janetta Ferguson. He married Mildred Frances Brent in 1928. They farmed at Wanstead for twelve years until they moved to Warwick Twp. to a farm on the north-west corner of Hwy 22 and First School Rd. where they had cows, pigs and cash crops. Since there were no girls in his family, Bill had been his mother’s helper and had learned to bake, which he continued after his marriage. His wife was talented musically and had studied both piano and voice in London, but found it difficult to perform in public.

Mildred and Bill had one son William Lyle Ferguson (1942–). When Lyle married Dollene Dolan (–2003) his parents retired to a small bungalow on the corner of the farm on First School Rd. Mildred continued to live there after Bill’s death into her late 90s, when she moved to North Lambton Rest Home where she passed away in 2006 at the age of 101. Lyle and Dollene raised three sons Murray Lyle, Robert William and Brent Dale. Lyle farmed and also was a school bus driver. Lyle and Dollene later divorced and Lyle retired to Sarnia.

Duane Ferguson with his team. Courtesy P Janes.

Murray took over his grandfather’s farm when he married Sandra Strevel in 1986. Both Sandy and Murray were custodians for Central School for thirteen years, until its closure in 2000. They have two daughters, Katie and Amanda.

Murray’s brother Robert married Cindy (Sandy) Minten in 1986. They settled on a farm south of the former Warwick Central School on First School Rd. They have three children, Natasha, Tanner and Karley.

Their brother Brent married Marilyn Boris in 2006 and settled on the Bill O’Neil farm on 7054 Brickyard Line.

The youngest of Peter and Janetta’s four sons, Hugh (1908–1983), remained on the second farm his father had purchased in 1914. He met his wife, Alma Minielly, during her training as a nurse. When she completed her training they eloped in Kingston, Ont. They returned to the farm where they lived with Hugh’s parents and farmed together with them. Alma did private nursing in homes and was often called to help out in emergencies.

Alma and Hugh had four children, an infant son (1939–1939), Glenyce Wilma (1940–), Grace Elaine (1942–1942), who died at three months, and Glen Morley (1945–). After their son Glen married, they moved to a mobile home next door. After Hugh (1908–1983) passed away, Alma (1910–1998) remained there for some time until she moved to an apartment in Arkona.

Their daughter Glenyce married Ronald Huctwith and settled on a farm at 8363 Brickyard Line. Glenyce worked at Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital and North Lambton Rest Home as a Registered Nursing Assistant. They raised three children, Ronald Kevin, Christine Elizabeth and Gregory Allen. Kevin moved east of Arkona on Townsend Line, Christine moved to Sarnia while Greg moved to a farm at 6310 Quaker Rd. where he lives with his wife Teresa and family.

Hugh and Alma’s son Glen Ferguson stayed on the Hugh Ferguson homestead on Egremont Rd. He married Pat Black from the Owen Sound area. They farmed with his father Hugh until he passed away. Glen has continued to cash crop, acquiring more acreage over the years. Pat worked as a Registered Practical Nurse. They raised three children, Duane, Dean and Diane.

Duane Ferguson married Crystal Smith in 1994 and farms next door to his father. They have three children, Wesley Dean, Mathew Glen and Emily Jean Diane. They own a team of heavy horses and a beautiful white coach in which they escort people to weddings, parades and family outings.

Tragically Pat and Glen’s other two children died young. Dean (1973–1993) was killed in a motorcycle accident in Warwick Twp. and Diane (1974–1997) died from necrotizing fasciitis in British Columbia, where she was attending university.

Chapter 24 of 25 - Ferguson Family

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