James William "Jim" Ferguson Jr.... Age 76

Memorial: American Lung Association send c/o Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home P.O. Box 430 Osawatomie, KS 66064

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James (Jim) William Ferguson Jr, 76, passed away on August 19th, 2020, surrounded by his loved ones. He was born on March 12, 1944 in Beaumont, Texas. He was the oldest of five children, born to the late James Sr and Goldie Ferguson. He graduated from high school on May 20, 1962 from Fair Park High School in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Jim proudly served as a Sergeant First Class in the United States Army. In the Army, he met his wife, Ruth Ferguson. They married on June 5, 1965 in Fort Benning, Georgia. After 20 years of service, Jim retired from the military. He then began his career as a data analyst at DST Systems, Inc. He retired after 18 years at DST. He spent his retirement working in hardware stores and building a home in the country with his wife.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Eloise (Ruth) Ferguson; his children, James (Jamie) Michael, Melissa (Missy) Ruth and Duane Lee; his grandchildren, Ericka Drapp, Jasmine Stewart, Amber Ferguson, Rhianna (Anna) Ferguson, Zachary Ferguson and Damon Ferguson; siblings, Elaine Clark, Gary Ferguson and Raymond Ferguson.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Ann Venable.

Jim loved his family, his country and the outdoors. He devoted his life to protecting his country and providing for his family. Once he retired, you could find him in the garage, working on his Chevy, or out in the fields on his tractor. He took every opportunity he could to travel into the wilderness, visiting many national parks and monuments across the United States. In the summers, he and his family would spend weekends at various car shows, displaying all the hard work he put into his BelAir.

Jim's family would describe the life that he led as honorable, moving through a very diverse set of places and experiences. He had pride in everything he did, and though he was known to be quite stubborn, he will be remembered for his loving side and the determination he had to teach and help shape his family into who they are today.

He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.