Ferguson, Jason 1867-1923 & Angeline Elder Family

FERGUSON, ELDER, BALLARD, DEWEY, BEECHER, STOUGH

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 5/7/2023 at 03:20:38

Ferguson, Jason 1867-1923 and Angeline Elder Family

This story was taken from page 393 of the Ireton Centennial Book (1882-1982). The story was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Some research notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg .

Jason Deville Ferguson was born Feb. 18, 1867. His father, Hiram Fitch Ferguson, was born in New York. His grandfather, Hiram, was born in Scotland. His mother was Martha Ballard and his grandfather was Dr. Moses R. Ballard, a pioneer doctor in Story County, Ia. His great-grandmother Ferguson was Etheline Dewey, member of the industrious Dewey family. The great-grandmother was Liza Beecher, related to Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Ward Beecher. An uncle who was deaf and dumb lived with them and he learned the deaf language. Later in life, deaf people were happy to meet him.

Jason invented the turbine water wheel and built grist mills from New York state to Steamboat Rock, Ia. He attended Ames College. Jason married Angeline Elder on Apr. 15, 1903, near Ireton.

In 1906 he was helping Dick Swift thresh grain when a fly wheel on the machine broke and hit him in the chest. It knocked him out, and we guess the injury may have caused an aneurism of the aorta which later caused his death. Dick Swift lived on the farm now occupied by Edwin Winterfeld.

While living near Ireton, he helped organize the Farmer’s Cooperative and was a member of the first board of directors, he sang tenor in a quartet. Wm. Bushby was another one of this group.

He went to South Dakota (Dewey Co.) in 1910 and filed on a homestead. He drove 2 teams hitched to hayracks loaded with farm machinery the 410 miles from Ireton to Eagle Butte. The first few years there he ran a creamery. In those days they crossed the Missouri River on the railroad tracks in box cars. In 1915 he was elected Registrar of Deeds in Dewey Co.

In 1920 Mrs. Ferguson went to Calif. and got a job teaching school. On Nov. 1920 Jason left Eagle Butte with their 4 children, in a 1917 Ford, and started for Calif. He crossed the Cheyenne River on the ice and again the Missouri River on the railroad at Pierre. They drove to Ireton, where they visited Mrs. Ferguson’s sister and family, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Bay. They went on to Story Co. where they visited his sister and husband,and his parents at Nevada, Ia., then on to Calif. They were six weeks on the road and went through 1200 miles of mud. The only paved road on the trip was about 20 miles through Des Moines, Ia. until they reached Calif.

In Calif. He did carpentry work and drove school busses until his death in 1923. Angie continued teaching and, after her family was grown, moved in with her aged parents, Mr. and Mrs. Elder. After her father’s death, she returned to Ireton in 1942 and made the farm, where she and her husband first settled, her home. She was very active and lived on the farm through WWII. After the war was over, she enjoyed traveling and visiting friends around here and in Calif. Her busy life stopped quickly one day in 1950 when she fell and broke her hip. After 6 months she went to convalesce at the home of her sister, Mable (Mrs. Ben Bay), who lived on the original Elder homestead. Later, she made her home with her daughter, LaVere (Imray) who lived on the Ferguson’s farm. Angie passed away in early 1963 Los Angeles CA .

See the biography of Adaline’ parents Marshall Elder 1849-1938 and Polly Stough Family on this web page. Their story is a great rendition of the pioneer time of the Elder family.

RESEARCH added by Wilma J. Vande Berg
From a report on ancestry.com public member trees (by others)
Jason Devillo Ferguson was born 18 Feb 1867 Story Co. Iowa and died 23 Mar 1923 Calabasas L.A. CA His parents were Hiram Fitch Ferguon 1843-1929 and Martha J. Ballard 1845-1929. His wife was Agneline Jane ‘Angie’ Elder 1874-1963 They were married 15 Apr 1903 Ireton IA. Her parents were Marshall Elder 1849 -1938 and Polly Stough 1854.

CHILDREN of Jason and Angeline Ferguson:
The children moved from Sioux County Iowa early in their youths. Not much on their families was available through public records as genealogically deemed ‘private’.

1. Adara ‘LaVere’ Ferguson born 24 Nov 1904 Sioux county IA. She died 31 Jul 1987 San Bernardino CA . Married name Harold Imray 1900-1990 CA . Child ‘private’.

2. Genevieve M. Ferguson born 1 Apr 1906 Ireton died 8 Dec 2002 Los Angeles CA married Lawrence Harry Neal.

3. Elder Leroy Ferguson born 15 Aug 1908 Washington Twp. Sioux Co. IA died 7 Jun 1972 Eagle Butte Dewey SD cemetery Black Hills National Cemetery

4. Hiram Hillis Ferguson 1910-1928 buried in Altadena, LA CA

OBITUARIES - No obituaries were found locally for Jason and Angeline.
If any of the family wish to share a family photo or the obituaries published at the time, please contact our page coordinator to add the information to this narrative.