Obit: Ferguson, Bernard Rollin (1917 - 1944)

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Surnames: FERGUSON NEFF BEAVIN GEE CLARK GROVE KING MEACHAM HUTTOM DESSLOCH BERRY DOMER

----Sources: Marathon County Register (Unity, Clark Co. Wis.) 08/04/1944

Ferguson, Bernard Rollin (24 Jan. 1917 - 25 Jul. 1944)

Bernard Ferguson Dies at Racine, Wis.

Son of Rev. Ferguson, Pastor of Unity Methodist Church; Was 1st Lieutenant in Army Before Medical Discharge

Bernard Rollin Ferguson, the son of Rev. and Mrs. Mansel B. Ferguson, was born January 24, 1917, in Marshall township, Richland county, Wis., and died at St. Luke’s hospital, Racine, Wis., on July 25, 1944, after two weeks in the hospital, during which time he underwent two major operations. Like Methodist preachers’ sons, he received his education in the cities where his father served. He graduated from the grade school to the high school in Viroqua, Wis., and completed his high school education at the Barron high school where he graduated in 1934. He entered Hamline University in St. Paul, majoring in economics, and following his love of music he made music his minor, receiving his bachelor of arts degree in 1939. After graduation from the university he accepted a position in the office of a company in Minneapolis, which position he held he answered the call of his country and was inducted into the Army at Fort Snelling, Minn., on Mar. 7, 1941. From here he was assigned to the six weeks quartermaster course at Camp Lee, Va., and then in June of ’42 he entered officers candidate school at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Ordinance department on Sept. 19, 1942. In October he was assigned to the Rossford Ordinance depot, Toledo, Ohio, where he served in administrative and personnel. He received his promotion to 1st Lieutenant on May 13, 1943. Preparatory to being sent to a port of embarkation, pending overseas service, he was given a medical check-up and assigned to Pervy Jones General hospital, Battle Creek, Mich., for further examination of his eyes which resulted in his being released from active duty and returned to inactive status, effective Oct. 31, 1943, where he was retained in the Officers Reserve subject to recall to active duty. Since Jan. 1944 he was employed by a firm in Racine.

His love of God and nature took him to the great outdoors, to the forests and the streams for his hobbies. His hobby of learning to fly an airplane gave him the contact with nature and God from the air.

He leaves to mourn his loss, his parents, Rev. and Mrs. M. B. Ferguson of Colby; his sister, Mrs. Vera Neff of Sparta, seven aunts, six uncles and a host of friends.

The military funeral service was held at the Methodist church in Richland Center on Friday, July 28, and internment was at the Woodstock cemetery, where the salute was given and taps were played by the military guard. Rev. T. Sidney Beavin, pastor of the Richland Center Methodist church was in charge and the Rev. R. Harold Gee, district superintendent of the central district of LaCrosse and the Rev. E. E. Clark of Sparta participated in the service. The Groves trio, friends from the Viroqua circuit, Mr. and Mrs. James Grove and Hubert Grove, brought the ministry of music. Miss Elizabeth King accompanied. Those who attended from Colby and Unity were Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Meacham, Mrs. Fred Huttom, Mrs. J. Dessloch, Mrs. Wm. Berry and Mrs. Theo Domer.