My Amazing Grandma – Caring, Contented, Loved

Posted On September 30, 2020

Last Saturday, I attended the funeral of one of my Ferguson cousins, Lorene Ferguson Davidson who was my grandma’s niece. She was 91. I was greeted with a hug by her daughter, Lana, as she exclaimed, “Longevity!” She was referring to how long the Fergusons we know seem to live. Lana also said she had been enjoying studying our geneology.

We are very fortunate to have the records our Great Uncle Ned shared. He traced our ancestors back to 1675! General Alexander Ferguson immigrated to York County, Virginia, in 1716 from Craigdarroh, Dumfries, Scotland. My daughter, Amy, updated the information in 2014.

After my conversation with Lana, I started reminiscing about my maternal grandma.

Grandma Cared for her Siblings

I will always remember Grandma’s brothers and sisters calling her “Sister.” She helped look after them as a young girl and I can hear her now chastising her sister, Corynne, or brother, Clyde, in their late adult years. They would just say, “Oh, Sister,” but usually do whatever she had told them to do. She never stopped mothering them and there was great love between them. Here’s what my mom wrote about Grandma’s early years.

“Hester Clair Ferguson was born April 12, 1890, to William Byrd and Libbie Verna Ferguson in Bedford County, Virginia. She was the fourth of eight children. When Hester was twelve years old, her mother died. Hester, being the oldest girl, had to take over the household chores. With a family that large, the duties seemed never to end. She took the smallest, a two-year-old sister, to school with her. She would not marry until all the rest of the children were married and away from home.”

Her 15-Year Marriage

Mother continued to write, “On October 7, 1916, Hester married Elmer Baker in Roanoke, Virginia. They had five girls. They lost one of the girls when she was two years old. Hester was in bed with a new baby at the time. Elmer had several different jobs over the next few years so they moved around a lot. On January 7, 1931, Elmer died of cancer and left Hester with four girls to raise. They had never owned a home and had no savings, what was she to do?”

Living as a Widow During the Great Depression

My Great Grandfather, William Byrd Ferguson, came to the rescue just as his daughter had helped him when his wife died. I never had the good fortune of knowing him or my mother’s father. As sad as that makes me, knowing Grandma made up for it. I loved her dearly.

Mother continues her story, “Hester’s father moved her and her family to Hatton, Missouri, in 1932. Her father built a house here and they were out in the country, seventeen miles from a town of any size, without a car. This was right at the height of the depression and Hester got a job in a government sewing room. She had to walk one mile to her work. The grade school was next door to their house so she boarded the school teacher. She always said she started the hot lunch program as she took the teacher a hot lunch. That was cheaper than buying things for a lunch box.

There was no electricity out where they lived so she read by an oil lamp, washed on a washboard, ironed with an iron heated on the stove, hung the milk in a well to keep it from souring, carried water in a bucket, and had no inside plumbing. She was good to play games with her children. Some of the games were Flinch, Rook, and even Bridge. Hester made all of her children’s clothes from feed sacks or from clothes handed down from the girls aunts.”

Another 15-Year Marriage

Grandma married William (Bill) Stephens of Hatton, Missouri, on November 10, 1938. Unfortunately, I never got to meet him either. He died after they were married 15 years. She called him “Teeny” and my sisters knew him as Granddaddy. Mother said he treated her and her sisters as good as any birth father. He was the owner and proprietor of the local general store in Hatton and also the Postmaster. Grandma joined in helping at the store and served as the postmaster after he retired until 1953. Her husband died in 1953.

On Her Own Again

Grandma had four daughters scattered across the country and she took turns staying with them–Ailene in San Diego, California; Inez in Phoenix, Arizona; and Dorothy in Denver, Colorado. She might stay with them for a couple of months and then return to Hatton where she would live with my mom and dad. She lived with us from 1953 until about 1965.

Then, surprising us all, Grandma decided to move to a duplex in Auxvasse, Missouri, and then to the Senior Citizen’s Center there. She spent most of her time crocheting and playing solitaire. I remember we had to buy her cards often because she would wear holes into the middle of them from playing so much!

Grandma – A Life Celebrated

Grandma turned 100 in 1990. We had a big birthday party for her at the Hatton Community Hall. We had relatives from all over the states, including many from Virignia. My Aunt Ailene made Grandma a gold “queen’s” wrap and bought her a crown. She was given a dozen red roses. Grandma was somewhat embarrassed, but thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Grandma Taught me to be Content in all Circumstances and to Live in the Moment

Grandma was a true inspiration to me. I was very close to her since she lived with us the most when I was a child. My father loved her as if she was his own mother and my mom adored her.

Grandma never owned a house or a car. She lived to be 103 but was only married a total of 30 of those years. She lost her mother at the age of 12. She lost a two-year-old child. She lived through the Great Depression. She outlived all of her siblings. When she got in her 90’s, she lost most of her eyesight due to glaucoma.

But, you know what? I never heard Grandma talk about any of those things. She didn’t dwell on the past or the negative. She always lived in the present. She kept up with what all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were doing.

My mom says that she never heard Grandma complain about anything. When Grandma was 93, Mother took her to the doctor. He asked her how many aspirin she took (per day). She replied, “As far as I know, I never took one in my life.” At the age of 100, she recited a seven-verse poem at church that she had learned when she was 9 years old. Grandma was an amazing woman!

At the age of 103, my daughter, Amy, and I visited Grandma one evening. We took her some Snickerdoodles (what she always asked for). Upon arrival and hearing my voice and dimly seeing us, she said, “Well, hello, Leslie. Is that Amy or Lori with you?” When Amy told her who she was, Grandma immediately started talking to her, saying, “Tell me about basketball. I hear you’re having a good season and you’re playing a lot.”

That was Grandma. Always living in the moment and loving her family. That night she went into what the doctor called a self-induced deep sleep. He said she was not in a coma, but he didn’t think she wanted to wake up. After one week, she passed away. It was 1994.