Obituary: Avis Luella Ferguson

Mrs. Ferguson

Originally Published: November 12, 2014 6:03 a.m.

Avis Luella Ferguson passed away Monday, Nov. 3, 2014, after suffering a stroke.

Avis was born Sept. 25, 1927, in Randle, Washington, to Ray and Ramona Hampton. Her father worked for the Forest Service and transferred to Roseburg, Oregon, where she grew up and met the love of her life, John M. Ferguson. Avis met John when he returned from WWII, where he served as a Marine Raider in the South Pacific.

Avis and John were married June 1, 1946. They had four children, Marsha, Jerry, Ramona and Steve. They moved to Helena, Montana, where they lived for 10 years, before returning to Oregon, where John finished his schooling at Oregon State University and became a vocational agriculture teacher. John taught for four years in Siletz, Oregon, and then they moved to Portland. From Portland, John took a job with the administrative part of the Peace Corps and moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where they lived for almost four years. When they returned to the U.S., they developed 5 acres on the desert, which they named Rocky Acres, west of Phoenix, Arizona. They lived there during the winters and traveled with their fifth wheel during the summer months. They enjoyed travel in the fifth wheel all over the U.S. during the next approximately 12 years. At that point, they moved permanently to Prescott Valley, Arizona, for the last 27 years.

Avis was a housewife who enjoyed knitting, crocheting and reading. No one could spoil an animal like Avis. She loved her dogs.

Avis was preceded in death by her sons Jerry and Steve, and her brother Merle. She is survived by her loving husband John; daughters Marsha Bell and Mona Juravic (Paul); granddaughter Tami Ammerman (Ken); grandson Tony Bell (Amy); and great-grandchildren Michael and Nickolas Ammerman and Matthew and Sam Bell.

She will be missed by her family and those whose lives she touched.

A Celebration of Life will be 10 a.m. Nov. 28, 2014, at the Arizona Wakelin Bradshaw Chapel, 8480 E. Valley Road, Prescott Valley.

Information provided by survivors.