I just sent this to someone,
and since I have it handy, I will post it to
the list again. Perhaps
you might recognize someone?
Thanks.
Jean Cuevas
John Ferguson married Elizabeth
BALLARD
1. Joseph Thomas Ferguson
+ Molly HOARSLEY
2. Oscar Ferguson
+ Ruth Caroline WILES (2nd wife)
2. Sarah Ellen Ferguson
2. Laura Elizabeth Ferguson
2. Mary Ferguson
2. Eva Pearl Ferguson
2. Vada Ferguson
+ Ida JERDEN (3rd wife)
2. Leroy Ferguson
2. Female Ferguson
+ Georgia Alice LUCK DILL (4th
wife)
2. J.T.Ferguson
2. Female Ferguson
+ Belle HALL HATMAN (5th wife)
+ Hesky Ann MAYFIELD (6th wife) b. 1866,
d. 1945 Izard County
1.Johnny Ferguson
1.Frank Ferguson
1.Mark Ferguson (born blind)
1.Henry Ferguson
1.Robert Ferguson
1.Albert Ferguson
1.Mary Ferguson (born blind)
Jean Mayfield Cuevas
Marietta,GA
John 3:16 <><
M.L. Ferguson, piano tuner
who has "doctored" thousands of Arkansas pianos
in 45 years, has never seen
a ray of light. Yet the world has a face all
its own for him. And
his sense of direction is so strong that he can go
anywhere that anyone else
can go.
"He has the Homing instinct of a cat or a pigeon", a close friend said
in
describing Mr. Ferguson.
Once a friend took him home in a car at night.
By mistake he drove to 2222
Center Street, instead of 2222 Louisianna.
When Mr. Ferguson stepped
out of the car he said at once, "This isn't the
right place. You must
be on Center Street."
Blind from birth because of failure of the optic nerve to develop, Mr.
Ferguson came from his farm
home near Batesville at the age of six to enter
the Arkansas Scool for the
Blind. Each summer he returned home and his
parents and nine brothers
and sisters took it as a matter of course that he
roamed all over their 160
acre "one-man" farm, for everyone knew he could
find his way.
Years later, as a business man in charge of his own going enterprise of
rebuilding and tuning pianos,
he went to Batesville to buy the old home
place. "It was just
sentiment, but I wanted to hire someone to run the
farm, and I wanted to keep
it to visit. But they told me that some campers
had stayed overnight in
the abandoned house about two months before, and
had burned the house and
barn down. I turned around and came back and
never went there again.
I can 'see' that house just like it was when I was
a child. I can even
'see' the nail I had driven to hang my razor strap on
when I was a young fellow"
Does Not Play Piano
While still a chld, Mr.
Ferguson decided he would be a piano tuner, but he
didn't bother to learn very
much about playing the piano. "If I had been
able to play, I would have
wasted a lot of time playing for people," he
said. He tuned his
first piano at 14 and received a $5. gold piece which
he kept for years.
At 16 he was graduated from the blind school and began
to build his trade.
For some years he traveled throughout the state,
visiting Batesville, Jonesboro,
Paragould and Newport, and going up the
White River valley as far
as Cotter. He scoffed at the idea that he might
need help in traveling,
for trains never gave him any trouble. If he
needed guidance in reaching
addresses, he could always hire a boy to show
him around.
By 1913 Mr Ferguson's Little
Rock trade had grown to such an extent that he
dropped the out-of-town
work. Since then he has rebuilt and tuned
thousands of pianos, some
in homes of owners and some in his workshop. He
has 14 pianos in his shop,
including two handsome square pianos which he is
rebuilding and restringing.
"Until the automobiles got
so numerous, I went everywhere in town, but I
don't go about so much alone
any more," Mr. Ferguson said. He has more
work than he can do.
The quality of his workmanship is proved by the number
of long-time customers who
still send for him or send their pianos to his
shop.
Mr. Ferguson's hobby is
woodwork. a favorite pastime is making furniture.
"After I've been working
on pianos for a few days, I drop everything and go
to my bench and make something."
he said. "That's as necessary to me as
food and water. I have to
do it."
He has made many storage
cabinets and other handcrafted fixtures for the
pleasant larg-roomed house
which he has occupied at 2222 Louisianna Street
since 1922. Tables,
chairs, and other articles also are products of his
bench, including four sets
of porch furniture for the Blind Women's Home.
He enclosed a basement stairway,
built a fence from the house to the
garage, and made and hung
every screen--about 30-- in the house. "
The neighbors get scared
when they see me up on a ladder," he chuckled.
Installs Transformers
But their surprise was nothing compared to that of the workmen who came
to
work on the roof and were amazed to find Mr. Ferguson walking joists of
the
attic. "They didn't know I already had been up there to put in a
transformer for the doorbell," he chuckled.
Mr. Ferguson had a large audience the time he cut some limbs out of a large
hickory tree in front of the house. And when he was building the
backyard
fence at night some motorists stopped their cars to watch him drive nails
in the dark.
He was disappointed when the buildings of the old Blind School at
Eighteenth and Center Streets were torn down recently.
"I knew every inch of the place, and it was always home to me. That's
where I grew up."
Mr. Ferguson has a brother in California and two others in Sharp County.
He has never married, and for many years has made his home with the Misses
Stella Mae and Lavanna WELLS, supervisors for the Sothwestern Bell
Telephone Co. for 35 years. The two families formerly lived at 1000
Louisianna Street.
Mr. Ferguson's one unrealized ambition was to become a surgeon. "Look at
these hands," he said, holding up his tapering fingers. "If I'd had my
sight, I could have been a surgeon. But I get a lot out of life.
Anybody
that wants to make his way in this world can do it."
Other surnames I am researching;
Alexander/Alsop/Alsup/Bacon/Ballard/Bedsaul/Beverage
/Bledsoe/Denton/Farrier/Ferguson/Hale/Hawkins/Houser
/James/Jeffery/Langston/Lawson/Mason/Mayfield/Rhorer/
/Wiles/Wright
Good Morning,
Here are two seperate family tree outlines, which I believe connect, but as
of yet I haven't found the connecting person. Perhaps you might find one
of yours among them?
Thanks,
Jean Mayfield Cuevas
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
These belong to Mary Cooper Miller
Descendants of Isaac Ferguson
1 Isaac Ferguson b: in Virginia
...... 2 Joel Ferguson b: in Virginia
.......... +ELIZABETH
.............. 3 William Ferguson
.............. 3 Thomas Ferguson
.............. 3 Jasper Ferguson
.............. 3 Emma M. Ferguson
.............. 3 Jerome Washington Ferguson b: November 18, 1820 in
Williamson County, Tennessee d: November 14, 1896 in Sharp County, Arkansas
Fact 1: Bet. 1860 - 1880 Census, Jefferson Twp, Indep. Co, AR
.................. +Elizabeth Melba JONES b: February 09, 1822 in
Tennessee d: March 08, 1882 in Sharp County, Arkansas m: November 18, 1840
in Tennessee
...................... 4 Benjamin Franklin Ferguson b: in Arkansas
.......................... +Nancy FORD
...................... 4 William W. Ferguson b: 1843 in Tennessee
.......................... +Mary MILLER
...................... 4 George Washington Ferguson b: October 23, 1845
in Tennessee d: September 26, 1915 in Bryan, TX
.......................... +Matilda Clementine SMITH b: July 24, 1842 in
Tennessee d: January 24, 1908 in Seminole, OK m: February 28, 1869 in
Batesville, Independence County, AR
............................... 5 Susan Ferguson
............................... 5 L. Frank Ferguson
............................... 5 Perry Ferguson
............................... 5 William Ferguson
............................... 5 Viania Ferguson
............................... 5 Goodman Ferguson
............................... 5 Marion Ferguson
............................... 5 Alfred Ferguson
...................... 4 Ellis A. Ferguson b: April 13, 1847 in Tennessee
d: January 07, 1929
.......................... +Carmenta C. YEAGER m: August 13, 1868 in Ar
............................... 5 Daniel Ferguson
............................... 5 Dallas Ferguson
............................... 5 Julia Ferguson
............................... 5 Rachel Ferguson
............................... 5 Emmer Ferguson
............................... 5 Simon Ferguson
............................... 5 Amos Ferguson
...................... 4 James Munroe Ferguson b: 1849
.......................... +Betty Sarah E. CONYER
...................... 4 Charles G. Ferguson b: 1851
.......................... +Emma SCOTT
...................... 4 Robert Wyatt Ferguson b: April 17, 1853 in
Tennessee d: February 20, 1936 in Cleb, AR
.......................... +Almanza Tennessee GIFFORD m: December 07,
1873 in Batesville, AR
............................... 5 Alvis Ferguson
............................... 5 Mollie Ferguson
............................... 5 Callie Ferguson
............................... 5 Cora Ferguson
............................... 5 Sterling Ferguson
............................... 5 Finis Ferguson
............................... 5 Ernest Ferguson
...................... 4 Decatur Perry Ferguson b: March 23, 1856 in
Arkansas d: December 1905 in Arkansas
.......................... +Nancy Ann HALL m: September 14, 1884 in
Arkansas
............................... 5 Hettie Ferguson
............................... 5 Geneva Ferguson
............................... 5 Ruby Ferguson
............................... 5 Jessie Ferguson
............................... 5 Paul Ferguson
............................... 5 Oscar Ferguson
...................... 4 Jerome Alexander Ferguson b: March 20, 1860 in
Johnson Twp., Sharp County, Arkansas
.......................... +Jeannie CLAXTON
...................... 4 Lucy Ann Ferguson b: March 20, 1860 in Johnson
Twp., Sharp County, Arkansas d: September 30, 1946 in Faulkner County,
Arkansas
.......................... +John Murray HALL
............................... 5 Nancy HALL
............................... 5 Minnie HALL
............................... 5 Dora HALL
............................... 5 Nellie HALL
............................... 5 Samuel HALL
............................... 5 John HALL
............................... 5 Phillip HALL
.............. *2nd Wife of Jerome Washington Ferguson:
.................. +Mrs. Mary A. BOWLING m: March 26, 1885
--------------------------------------------------------------------
This is my line:
Direct Descendants of John Ferguson
1 John Ferguson b: in Tennessee
. +Elizabeth BALLARD b: 1844 in Arkansas d: in Arkansas
...... 2 Johnny Ferguson
...... 2 Frank Ferguson
...... 2 Henry Ferguson
...... 2 Bob Ferguson
...... 2 Albert Ferguson
...... 2 Mary Ferguson
...... 2 Sibling Ferguson
...... 2 Sibling Ferguson
...... 2 Joseph Thomas Ferguson b: 1867 in Sharp County, AR d: 1945 in
Roberts Cemetery, Franklin, Izard County, AR
.......... +Ruth Caroline WILES b: February 23, 1862 in Ashe Flat, AR d:
1912 in Sharp Co, AR m: January 07, 1889 in Sharp County, AR
.............. 3 Sarah Ellen Ferguson d: in Claremore, Oklahoma
.............. 3 Laura Elizabeth Ferguson
.............. 3 Mary Ferguson
.............. 3 James Franklin Ferguson
.................. +Julia Bell FOREMAN
...................... 4 Marie Ferguson
...................... 4 Lisel Ferguson
...................... 4 Lillie Ferguson
...................... 4 Thomas Ferguson
...................... 4 Glen Ferguson
...................... 4 Max Ferguson
.............. 3 Eva Pearl Ferguson
.............. 3 John Ferguson
.............. 3 Virgie May Ferguson d: 1960
.............. 3 Vada Ferguson
...... *2nd Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
.......... +Molly HOARSLEY m: Bef. 1940 in Arkansas
.............. 3 Oscar Ferguson
...... *3rd Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
.......... +Ida JERDEN m: Bef. 1942
.............. 3 Leroy Ferguson
.............. 3 Female Ferguson
...... *4th Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
.......... +Georgia Alice Luck DILL m: Bef. 1943
.............. 3 J.T. Ferguson
.............. 3 Female Ferguson
...... *5th Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
.......... +Belle Hall HATMAN m: Bef. 1944
...... *6th Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
.......... +Hesky Ann MAYFIELD b: August 28, 1879 in Arkansas d: August
1964 in Arkansas m: Bef. 1945
...... 2 Mark L. Ferguson b: Abt. 1887
Hi Larry and All,
I am! (Looking for Fergusons)!
I guess I have about lost hope of finding any of mine, though. I know that
they were in Sharpe County, and Izard County, AR . But, either the male
species of my branch died out or they moved to California, or somewhere!
Will try again:
Direct Descendants of Joseph Thomas Ferguson
1 Joseph Thomas Ferguson b: 1867 in Sharp County, AR d: 1945 in Roberts
Cemetery, Franklin, Izard County, AR
. +Ruth Caroline WILES b: February 23, 1862 in Ashe Flat, AR d: 1912 in
Sharp Co, AR m: January 07, 1889 in Sharp County, AR
...... 2 Sarah Ellen Ferguson d: in Claremore, Oklahoma
...... 2 Laura Elizabeth Ferguson
...... 2 Mary Ferguson
...... 2 James Franklin Ferguson
...... 2 Eva Pearl Ferguson
...... 2 John Ferguson
...... 2 Virgie May Ferguson d: 1960
...... 2 Vada Ferguson
*2nd Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
. +Molly HOARSLEY m: Bef. 1940 in Arkansas
...... 2 Oscar Ferguson
*3rd Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
. +Ida JERDEN m: Bef. 1942
...... 2 Leroy Ferguson
...... 2 Female Ferguson
*4th Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
. +Georgia Alice Luck DILL m: Bef. 1943
...... 2 J.T. Ferguson
...... 2 Female Ferguson
*5th Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
. +Belle Hall HATMAN m: Bef. 1944
*6th Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
. +Hesky Ann MAYFIELD b: August 28, 1879 in Arkansas d: August 1964 in
Arkansas m: Bef. 1945
If any of this looks familiar, please contact me!
Thanks,
Jean Cuevas
Thanks Bob, for the encouraging (?) words! :-)
I have often thought that if we could place within the subject line the
last State that we knew them to live in, or the States that we have found
them in, it might help.
For instance....
My John Ferguson was born in TN, but died in AR. In the subject line....
John Ferguson TN > AR might help.
It seems that just about everyone is looking for "John" Ferguson. Those
guys were sure unimaginative, weren't they?!
Jean Cuevas
Bill,
My John was born in TN, but I don't know where. As to whether he was
Catholic or not, I cannot be sure, but I doubt it, as no Catholic
traditions passed on down to the children. More likely Baptist.
And, my John Ferguson was already in AR by the time frame that you are
talking about. His oldest son was born in Sharp County, AR in 1867. And,
his wife was born in 1844, so my John must have been in his twenties or
thirties at the time that he married, and that would have made him born in
the 30's or 40's.
There was a "John Ferguson" written about in Goodspeed, and I have wondered
whether he were my John's father, but I have nothing to show it yet:
"John Ferguson in Sharp County 1820 claimed a veteran's bounty grant for
service in War of 1812"
Goodspeed........
Not much to go on...I know, but the population must not have been so dense
at that time, as to have been a different family...I think.
Thanks for the offer of your list. May I save your message and get back to
you, if the time comes when I can have enough information to place my
FergusonS anywhere near yours?
Thanks,
Jean Cuevas
From: Waldy & Jean Cuevas
Subject: [Ferguson-L] Ferguson ARTICLES TO SHARE WITH THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO THE
LIST
Hi Folks,
I think I have been one of those whose Ferguson lines have just about
decided to remain lost to me! I did get a lead on someone whose FergusonS
I suspected were mine, the person even went so far as to write me, briefly,
but never really got into comparing notes with me, and here I sit almost a
year later...as ignorant of that branch as I ever was! :-)
I hate when people will tell you that they have something which may be
yours, but they never offer to share it! I can understand where some of
these Ferguson cousins are getting their feelings of frustration, that's
for sure!
I suspect my FergusonS to be connected to the greater group found in
Batesville, Independence County, AR, but have not found any tie to them
yet. I do some scanned articles on the Batesville FergusonS, and one on
the "Georgia Ridge" FergusonS, and will share them with anyone who would
like a copy.
My FergusonS are these (as far as my knowledge goes):
Descendants of John Ferguson
1 John Ferguson b: in Tennessee
. +Elizabeth BALLARD b: 1844 in Arkansas d: in Arkansas
...... 2 Johnny Ferguson
...... 2 Frank Ferguson
...... 2 Henry Ferguson
...... 2 Bob Ferguson
...... 2 Albert Ferguson
...... 2 Mary Ferguson
...... 2 Sibling Ferguson
...... 2 Sibling Ferguson
...... 2 Joseph Thomas Ferguson b: 1867 in Sharp County, AR d: 1945 in
Roberts Cemetery, Franklin, Izard County, AR
.......... +Ruth Caroline WILES b: February 23, 1862 in Ashe Flat, AR d:
1912 in Sharp Co, AR m: January 07, 1889 in Sharp County, AR
.............. 3 Sarah Ellen Ferguson d: in Claremore, Oklahoma
.................. +William Ben R. MAYFIELD b: 1869 in Izard County, AR d:
October 14, 1936 in Myron, Izard County, Arkansas Fact 1: Buried in
Bates Cemetery, Izard County, AR
.............. 3 Laura Elizabeth Ferguson
.................. +Warren P. SIGSBY m: 1911
.............. 3 Mary Ferguson
.................. +Jeff FARRIS
.............. 3 James Franklin Ferguson
.................. +Julia Bell FOREMAN
.............. 3 Eva Pearl Ferguson
.................. +Albert FOREMAN
.............. 3 John Ferguson
.................. +Irene DILL
.............. 3 Virgie May Ferguson d: 1960
.................. +Ervin WOLF m: 1920
.............. 3 Vada Ferguson
...... *2nd Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
.......... +Molly HOARSLEY m: Bef. 1940 in Arkansas
.............. 3 Oscar Ferguson
...... *3rd Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
.......... +Ida JERDEN m: Bef. 1942
.............. 3 Leroy Ferguson
.............. 3 Female Ferguson
...... *4th Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
.......... +Georgia Alice Luck DILL m: Bef. 1943
.............. 3 J.T. Ferguson
.............. 3 Female Ferguson
...... *5th Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
.......... +Belle Hall HATMAN m: Bef. 1944
...... *6th Wife of Joseph Thomas Ferguson:
.......... +Hesky Ann MAYFIELD b: August 28, 1879 in Arkansas d: August
1964 in Arkansas m: Bef. 1945
...... 2 Mark L. Ferguson b: Abt. 1887
Thanks for your time,
Jean Mayfield Cuevas
From: Jean Mayfield Cuevas
Hi!
Anyone on this list have Haywood County, TN FergusonS? Trying to find the
father of my John D. Ferguson, b. 1843, TN. His mother was Mary Ann
HERRING, b. 1821, d. 1896.
Thanks.
Jean Mayfield Cuevas
Marietta, GA
From: Jean Mayfield Cuevas
Mary Ann HERRING and Unknown Ferguson would have had
to be married by 1843, as that's when John D. was born.
I believe this is probably my John D. Ferguson, although I haven't proven
it yet.
John D. Ferguson C Pvt/Pvt 2nd Ark. Cav I 1882 W
Joined at Houston, Mo., 1 Jan 1863, age 18, b. Haywood, Tenn.,
mustered out at Memphis, Tenn., Aug 1863
John and Sarah L. Ballard Ferguson were married in 1862. By 1865, their
son, Johnny was born in MO. (Don't know where in MO, though). Sharp
County is not that far from MO. Maybe 3-4 hours.
Thanks for the information.
Jean Cuevas
From: Jean Mayfield Cuevas
Good Morning,
My 2nd gr grandfather was named John D. Ferguson, son of Unknown Ferguson
and Mary Ann HERRING, b. 1821, TN, d. 1896, Sharp County, AR. John was
born between 1843-1845, in TN. I suspect that he may have been born in
Haywood County.
John's father died sometime before October 11, 1857, when Mary Ann married
William S. SHANKS, Jr.
That's the extent of what I know about John D. Ferguson's past. He was
born in TN, and his mother's second marriage took place in Independence
County, AR, so I would presume that they came from TN before John's father
died.
Does anyone know of FergusonS living in Haywood County, TN? Any
information would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Jean Mayfield Cuevas