Nancy Virginia (Jones) Ferner (1847-1937)

JONES, FERNER, COVALL, COVELL, PRESTON, MCCALL, MILLS

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/28/2022 at 15:33:30

From Nevada Evening Journal August 2, 1937 (page 1)

Mrs. Virginia Ferner Died Early Sunday at Her Home Here

Mrs. Virginia Ferner, 90, for over seventy years a resident of Nevada, died at her home, 107 Lincoln avenue, Sunday morning about 8:00 after being confined to her home with illness for a few weeks. The passing came calmly and peacefully in the presence of members of her family.

Funeral services will be conducted at the home Tuesday afternoon at 2:30, after which the body will be laid to ret in the family lot in the Nevada cemetery by the side of that of her husband, the late James D. Ferner, Civil war veteran, who has been dead for many years.

Mrs. Nancy Virginia Ferner was born in Highland county, Virginia, a daughter of the Rev. Samuel and Mary A. Jones. She was the last of four children.

They moved to Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1861 but as her father, Rev. Jones, was an ardent abolitionist and slavery was then dividing families, it was decided to move to New Virginia, Iowa, where other Virginians had located.

They came by boat on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Keokuk, then took a train to Chariton. From there a stage-coach took them to Pella, where they waited until friends came to take them to New Virginia. The next pastorate was at Norwalk, this followed by Nevada.

The first Nevada Methodist church was built during the pastorate of the Rev. M. Jones. Here the daughter, Virginia, was married to James D. Ferner July 24, 1867.

Two daughters were born to them, Edith and Elva. The older daughter survives her. Elva preceded her mother about two years.

Mr. Ferner had one daughter, Catherine, by a previous marriage, who became Mrs. Charles Covall. Her four children are all living.

Mrs. Ferner has a nephew, E. O. Preston, he being the only other Jones relative.

There are two grandchildren, Thomas Clifton McCall and Hazel McCall Mills. Three great-grandchildren, Tom, Jim and Fred McCall, sons of Thomas Clifton and Catherine McCall, are now in California. Two great-granddaughters, Virginia and Barbara Mills, daughters of Frederic T. and Hazel McCall Mills of Chicago complete the list of immediate relatives.

Mrs. Ferner had been a faithful member of the Methodist church for many years being one of its earliest members. She lived a quiet life, her home meaning much to her, and her friends were always welcome there.

She would have celebrated her ninetieth birthday in September and the family had been planning to gather at that time.

She retained her faculties until the last, was keenly interested in reading and in what was going on in the world.

The funeral will be held at the home Tuesday at 2:00, the Rev. C. D. Loose officiating.