FERGUSON, John Adams: Died 1910

FERGUSON, TOWER, ALCORN, LAYTON

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 8/15/2016 at 07:53:59

**Handwritten: St. Line Dem. Thurs. 9 June 1910

THE LATE JOHN A. FERGUSON

A FRIEND'S TRIBUTE

"Death takes us by surprise
And stays our hurrying feet;
The great design unfinished lies
And lives are incomplete.
But in the dark unknown
Perfect their circles seem,
Even as a bridge's arch of stone
Is rounded by the stream."

When the news came, last Thursday, that John Ferguson was dead, expressions of surprise and regret were evoked from a multitude of lips; for the man had many friends, in all parts of his native Van Buren county and far outside its bounds; and, so far as the writer knows, never an enemy. Few, perhaps none, even knew that he was sick. And as the last time he visited his old home, he was the very picture of robust health, with the apparent promise of a score more years of fruitful activity, it almost seemed to his friends that there must be some mistake about the report. But there was not mistake; it was too true.

Saturday noon's train brought his body, in charge of the son, Mr. Dan Ferguson, accompanied by his sister, Mrs. W.E. Tower of St. Louis, and other friends, and it was laid to rest in Purdom cemetery, by the side of the younger son, Joseph, whose tragic death by lightening occurred almost exactly seven years ago. Rev. Mr. Thorn of the M.E. church, met the funeral party at the train and together with a large number of friends in carriages, accompanied it to the Congregational church. There after a prayer, the coffin was opened and friends were allowed to take a last look at the familiar face. Then came the journey to the burial ground another prayer and the committal service by Mr. Thorn, and the final "Earth to earth, ashes to ashes and dust to dust." A funeral service had previously been held in Chicago. Mrs. Ferguson was prevented by illness from making the journey to Keosauqua.

John Adams Ferguson was born at Mt. Sterling, Iowa, Dec., 14, 1859. His death took place in Chicago, Thursday morning, June 2, 1910. He had lived 50 years 5 months and 8 days. The grandparents, on both paternal and maternal sides, Fergusons and Alcorns, were Van Buren county pioneers, and extensive land owners in the vicinity of Mt. Sterling. The boy John attended school in Keosauqua, in Moundsville, Pa., and Monmouth College, Monmouth, Ill.

In 1886 he was married to Aurelia B. Layton of Keosauqua; the home being made at Mt. Sterling. Two sons came to this union, Daniel Webster, born in 1887, who together with the widow survives the deceased, and Joseph Burton, born in 1889. The latter died May 27, 1903, from a lightning stroke, as mentioned above; a profound and shocking grief to the father and mother.

Mr. Ferguson was a prominent farmer and stockman, and was probably as widely known in business as any citizen of this county. During the last six years of his life, he was engaged in the cattle commission business of Chicago, but he retained ownership of his home. In business, Mr. Ferguson was very successful, accumulating by straight-forward, square dealing methods, what, before the era of multi-millionaires would have been considered a large fortune.

He served four years on the Van Buren county board of supervisors, and was one of the most active and efficient servants in that important office that the county ever had.

Learning that Mrs. Sarah Walker had been familiar with Mr. Ferguson's entire life history, the writer called upon her for information beyond the bounds of his own personal knowledge. "John was a good boy," said Mr. Walker, "and a good man."

DEATH OF JOHN FERGUSON

When he was a very little boy, he promised his mother that he would never drink liquor or use tobacco. And he kept that promise.

"When he went to school in Keosauqua, he boarded at my house," she continued; "so I had a good chance to know him. The Fergusons and Alcorns were Presbyterians, Pennsylvania people. But there was no Presbyterian church at Mt. Sterling, and when John was somewhere in his teens, he made a confession of religion at one of the meetings in the Methodist church and later, joined that church. His mother said to me, "when John went forward and confessed his savior, I thought it was time for us to join the Methodist church; which she and the father did."

The writer became acquainted with Mr. Ferguson soon after coming to Keosauqua 14 years ago, and esteemed him highly as a friend. He was a bluff, hearty, kind-hearted, friend-making man. One felt instinctively that his frank, open face was a true index to a thoroughly manly and reliable nature.
+ + + + + + +
**Handwritten: St. Line Dem. Thurs. 9 June 1910

DEATH OF JOHN FERGUSON

Sick Only Ten Days - Buried Saturday

The wholly unexpected news of the death of Mr. John A. Ferguson at Chicago Thursday morning was a shock to the people of this county. Mr. Ferguson had always been such a strong robust man that no one thought but what he would live for 40 years yet. His sickness was only of 10 days duration, the immediate cause of his death being two carbuncles on the back of his neck. Two days before his death he was taken to a hospital.

The body arrived here for burial Saturday a.m., being accompanied by Dan W. Ferguson, his son, Mr. Wimp, his partner, and an attorney, and from Eldon by Mrs. Belle Tower of Springfield, Mo., his sister. There were a large number of people at the depot, many of them old friends and neighbors from Mt. Sterling and vicinity. The body was taken to the Congregational church, from which his father was buried a few years since, and after a brief prayer by Rev. Mr. Thorn, the people were allowed to take a last look at their departed friends. There was a great profusion of flowers. The pall bearers were W.M. Walker, S.W. Manning, T.L. Workman, Oscar McCrary, J.W. Kerr and Ora Harbin.

At the burial the service for the dead was read and prayer made by Rev. Mr. Thorn and a couple of hymns were sung by the Congregational choir.

Mr. Ferguson was raised in the vicinity of Mt. Sterling and was well known personally all through the southern half of the county as well as here at the county seat, and he was esteemed and respected by all. He was a very successful business man, his occupation being that of a farmer and stock feeder up to six years ago when he engaged in the live stock commission business at Chicago still, however, continuing his stock feeding business. He inherited $15,000 to $20,000, but is estimated to have been worth: $200,000 to $250,000 at his death. He had nearly 800 acres of land in this county, and 900 acres in Indiana besides Chicago property. And this wealth was accumulated not by cheating and gouging people, but by stock feeding and buying and selling real estate. His dealings with people were fair and honorable.

He served five years on the board of county supervisors and we only repeat now what we said at the conclusion of his service, that he was one of the most competent and one of the best supervisors of the county ever had. His judgment was almost unerring, and being eminently a man of deeds instead of words, he could dispose of as much business in a day as the ordinary supervisor in two days. This county has lost one of its best and most prominent citizens, as Mr. Ferguson wrote us not more than three weeks ago, that he regarded himself a citizen of this county, never having voted elsewhere. The writer is proud to have been numbered among his personal friends, and had received quite frequent letters from him during all the time he had resided in Chicago.

Source: Van Buren Co Genealogical Society Obituary Book G, Page 163 & 164, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA

Van Buren Obituaries maintained by Rich Lowe.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen