Obit of Ferguson, Fabius Francisco - Grady County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Claudia Lackey 20 Nov 2005 Return to Grady County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/grady/grady.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== Fabius Francisco Ferguson June 2, 1860 - June 5, 1926 The Minco Minstrel Thursday, June 10, 1926 FAMED AGRICULTURIST DEAD FOLLOWING LONG ILLNESS; STATE LEADER F. F. Ferguson, pioneer agriculturist and horticulturist, passed away at his home at Minco, Okla., June 5, at 9:50 A. M. and was buried in the Minco cemetery at 3:00, June 7, funeral services conducted by Rev. S. L. Hogan, assisted by Mrs. Chester Hahn, of the Hahn Undertaking parlor of Oklahoma City. The pallbearers were: C. N. Nunn of Porter, J. M. Daily of Warner, James A. Wilson of Oklahoma City, Dr. J. S. Little, Minco, C. R. Donart of Oklahoma City and Mr. Callerman of Oklahoma City. All the above named were co-workers of Mr. Ferguson's in government extension work with the exception of Dr. Little. With the passing of F. F. Ferguson, Oklahoma loses one of her pioneer citizens whose life was devoted to the upbuilding of the state agricultural resources. For years, as a leading horticulturist in old Oklahoma, he did much toward developing the fruit industry of the west half of the state and later as district agent in charge of the east half of the state for the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the A & M College. He had laid the foundation upon which is built the present county agent work. Mr. Ferguson was known as one of the best authorities in the state on corn and cotton and was a judge of these products at many of the fairs held throughout the nation. He was joint author of a bulletin on corn published by the A & M College which was widely distributed all over the southwest and which was of much value to the farmers of this country in the growing of varieties of corn adapted to the semiarid conditions of the section. Later he was connected with the Nunn's Pedigreed Seed Farms of Porter, an institution which was the outgrowth of his efforts suggested by the needs of a breeding farm for the development of farm seeds within the state upon which the farmers could depend for absolute purity, adaptation and breeding. After severing his connection with the Nunn Pedigreed Seed Co., at Loving, New Mexico, he remained in the seed breeding business until ill health forced him to abandon the work. Fabius F. Ferguson was born in Iowa, June 2, 1860, migrated from there to Kansas when a young man and located at Spivy, Kingman County, where on September 24, 1884, he was married to Clara M. Mair, who still survives him. Seven children were born to this union: Hugh, Linus, Springer, Claude and Ross, two daughters, Mrs. Ashley Henderson* of Chickasha, and Mrs. Wm. H. Fowler* of California. Mr. Ferguson filed on his homestead in Canadian County the first of January in 1890, the year after the opening, where he remained in the nursery and fruit producing business until 1905 when he removed to Minco, and shortly thereafter accepted a position with the U. S. Department of Agriculture in a work which developed into Extension or county agent work. Mr. Ferguson was an untiring worker in the field of agricultural development and has left his footprints in fields all over the state. And though he was cut off by death while still in the middle life, his work and the work conceived by him will live on and the people he so faithfully served will benefit from his labors throughout the coming ages. *Note: Geneva Ferguson married Ashley Henderson. Chattie Ferguson married William Fowler. CARD OF THANKS: To all the friends whose sympathy and services were so kindly tendered in the illness and death of our beloved husband and father, we desire to extend our sincere thanks. Also for the many beautiful floral offerings -- Mrs. F. F. Ferguson -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Grady County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/grady/grady.html