Dad's Funeral
Friday, June 12, 2015
Funeral Pics
Funeral Pics
Jill and Taylor Lantz
Michael Huber, Emily, Emily's friend Abby, Tyler Anderson, David Ferguson, Jill Lantz, Taylor Lantz, Heather Fleetman
Lois, Brenda, Deb, Wally, Larry & Kim.
Top left to right Taylor Lantz, Dr. Josh Fleetman, Cindy Ferguson, Gavin Fleetman, Barry Ferguson.
Jill Lantz, Heater Fleetman, David Ferguson
Kim Andersson, Larry Ferguson
Peter Anderson, Lois Ferguson, Josh Ferguson
Emily Anderson, Carly Anderson, Tyler Anderson, Jonathan Ferguson, Debra Ferguson
Lynn Hixson, Larry Ferguson
Susan Matherly, Earl Matherly
Lois Ferguson, Mildred Pearson
Blake Shivery Funeral Director, Josh Ferguson, Jonathan Ferguson, TJ Anderson, Josh Fleetman, Taylor Lantz
Paul Frazier, Denny Frazier, Gary Frazier, Larry Ferguson
Josh Ferguson, Larry Ferguson, Lois Ferguson, Barry Ferguson, Kim Anderson
Jonathan Ferguson, Josh Ferguson
Peter Anderson, David Ferguson, Josh Ferguson
Lacey, Christy and Lindsey Young
Background (Jill and Taylor Lantz) Lois Ferguson, Larry Ferguson
Barry Ferguson, Larry Ferguson, Kim Anderson.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Marshall Ferguson - 1933 - 2015 (81 Years - three score and ten plus 11)
Marshall D. (“Marty”) Ferguson, 81, of Gap, PA, passed peacefully from death into life on Saturday morning, June 6, 2015. He was the husband of Lois J. Berkheimer Ferguson and the son of the late John Edward and Stella Victoria Myers Ferguson. Born in Pikeville, TN, he was the first of his family to graduate from high school (Bledsoe County High School, TN, class of 1952) and attend college (Tennessee Temple College, Chattanooga, TN). He joined the Marine Reserves before serving our great country in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956, stationed in Tokyo, Japan. Marshall was a member of Calvary Monument Bible Church, Paradise, PA. He retired from Lukens Steel Company in 1998 after 37 years of faithful service. Marshall enjoyed hunting and fishing in his early years. In later years, golfing became his hobby and he was a member of the Lukens Golf Team. He loved music and had a contagious laugh. Despite the disease that robbed his mind and body, Marshall is now whole and complete in heaven with his Savior, Jesus Christ. In addition to his wife of nearly 59 years, he is survived by his 3 children: Barry L., husband of Cynthia (Westcott) Ferguson of Lititz, Larry J., husband of Debra (Pearson) Ferguson of Lancaster, Kimberly J., wife of Peter Anderson of New Holland, 8 grandchildren: Heather Fleetman, (wife of Dr. Joshua Fleetman), Jill Lantz (wife of Mr. Taylor Lantz), David, Jonathan, & Joshua Ferguson; Emily, Tyler, & Carly Anderson; 1 great-grandson, Gavin Fleetman (and another soon to be born); a brother: Virgil G., husband of Grace (DeBord) Ferguson of Crossville, TN, and a sister-in-law, Jean (Birdwell) Ferguson of Jasper, TN, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and relatives across the country. He was preceded in death by 11 siblings; 6 brothers: Russell, Beachel, John, Joseph, Edward, Mitchell and 5 sisters: Luella Hixson, Viola Frazier, Berta Ewing, Frances Ruth Ferguson, Cora Collins. Marshall’s family deeply appreciates the care and concern shown him during his stay at Zerbe Sister’s Nursing Home. Contributions can be made in his honor to Compassionate Care Hospice, 1513 Cedar Cliff Drive, Suite 100, Camp Hill PA 17011 or Calvary Monument Bible Church Missions Fund, 1660 Mine Road, Paradise, PA 17562.
shiveryfuneralhome.com
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Commencement: June 6, 2015
Heaven's gates opened just at break of day for my beloved father to enter.
It has been raining here all week. But this morning, as the darkness faded into the light of a new day, I watched the eastern sky and saw the promise of sunshine.
I was with my dad when he passed from this life into REALLY living.
Sacred.
Peaceful.
Victorious.
He is now absolutely free from this disease and from this dark world.
How many times must he have sung:
Some glad morning when this life is over,
I'll fly away.
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly away.
I'll fly away, O Glory, I'll fly away.
When I die, hallelujah by and by,
I'll fly away.
Every single word proved true. Amen.
Today was my daughter's high school graduation. God was so gracious in his perfect timing. God answered so many prayers in his gentle, tender way of calling Dad home.
My dad always said he wanted to live to see his grandkids graduate from high school. Out of 8 grands, only my children are still in school. Today Dad is more alive and aware than he's ever been! Poppy got to see Emily graduate.
Two graduations in one day. They call it "commencement." Commencement means the start, the beginning. How true! This is only the start, Dad, now you will truly begin to live!
God is good.
It has been raining here all week. But this morning, as the darkness faded into the light of a new day, I watched the eastern sky and saw the promise of sunshine.
I was with my dad when he passed from this life into REALLY living.
Sacred.
Peaceful.
Victorious.
He is now absolutely free from this disease and from this dark world.
How many times must he have sung:
Some glad morning when this life is over,
I'll fly away.
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly away.
I'll fly away, O Glory, I'll fly away.
When I die, hallelujah by and by,
I'll fly away.
Every single word proved true. Amen.
Today was my daughter's high school graduation. God was so gracious in his perfect timing. God answered so many prayers in his gentle, tender way of calling Dad home.
My dad always said he wanted to live to see his grandkids graduate from high school. Out of 8 grands, only my children are still in school. Today Dad is more alive and aware than he's ever been! Poppy got to see Emily graduate.
Two graduations in one day. They call it "commencement." Commencement means the start, the beginning. How true! This is only the start, Dad, now you will truly begin to live!
God is good.
Friday, June 5, 2015
The best is yet to come
There's a story of a dear older lady facing death who met with her pastor to discuss her final arrangements. She told him that she wanted her body to be laid out in the casket with a fork in her hand. That seemed an odd request to the minister, but he quickly understood when she gave her explanation:
"At church pot luck dinners, after the main course is served, Pastor, you always tell us to keep our forks for dessert because the best is yet to come. I want people to know that this dying business is not the end, because for me, heaven awaits and truly, the best is yet to come."
I know that to be true for Dad as well. This is not all there is. This life is simply a cloudy shadowing of what is to come.
For Dad, glory awaits. Heaven's glory. Glory with his Lord and Savior. The time for dad to step into eternity is upon us. Why would we try to hold him here?
I read this verse on a recent Monday morning; God speaking directly to my cry to him just the night before!
"We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
2 Corinthians 5:8
Dad used to quote that very verse: "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."
Amen!
I catch my breath with anticipation when I dwell on the fact that in a very short time, my dad will see Jesus face to face! (And family members, the Apostle Paul, Martin Luther--but will those people even matter compared to the Savior?!)You know, all this death and dying business is not the end; it is just the beginning! We talk of babies still in the womb as "pre-born." What dad is experiencing now---morphine, "End of Life" and comfort measures---it's really "pre-living." Heaven will be truly living; this is just the preliminary!
How do I know this to be true? How do I know Dad will be in heaven soon? Simply put from that line in the the children's song: "for the Bible tells me so."
"He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:12
Dad heard the gospel: that he was a sinner in need of a Savior, that Jesus died on the cross to save Marshall Delano Ferguson, defeating sin and death, and he believed it!
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13
Dad listened to and obeyed the Holy Spirit's prompting his heart to leave his seat to walk down the aisle at the little church on a Tennessee dirt road across from his sister Luella's house in the early 1940s. (And he took his little brother with him...!) And that "going forward" didn't save him, it was only an outward sign of what was going on inside, of what he believed in his heart--to turn from his sin and trust Jesus Christ for "I have decided to follow Jesus."
I remember finding slides one day in a box on the bookshelf at the end of my parents' living room. Holding one up to the light, I was surprised to see a young-adult version of my dad surrounded by grade-school aged boys and even more surprised to have my "who is this?" question answered with "that's your dad with the Bible study boys he taught in Japan." How encouraging to know my dad was engaged and involved with living out his faith in those late-teen years!
Dad wasn't perfect. Sometimes he didn't do very well living for Jesus. But as we stand on the threshold of eternity, Dad's faith will become sight very soon. He will soon enter into his rest and reward. Oh how glorious! It is not death, after all, but truly life!
It is not death to die!
"At church pot luck dinners, after the main course is served, Pastor, you always tell us to keep our forks for dessert because the best is yet to come. I want people to know that this dying business is not the end, because for me, heaven awaits and truly, the best is yet to come."
I know that to be true for Dad as well. This is not all there is. This life is simply a cloudy shadowing of what is to come.
For Dad, glory awaits. Heaven's glory. Glory with his Lord and Savior. The time for dad to step into eternity is upon us. Why would we try to hold him here?
I read this verse on a recent Monday morning; God speaking directly to my cry to him just the night before!
"We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
2 Corinthians 5:8
Dad used to quote that very verse: "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."
Amen!
I catch my breath with anticipation when I dwell on the fact that in a very short time, my dad will see Jesus face to face! (And family members, the Apostle Paul, Martin Luther--but will those people even matter compared to the Savior?!)You know, all this death and dying business is not the end; it is just the beginning! We talk of babies still in the womb as "pre-born." What dad is experiencing now---morphine, "End of Life" and comfort measures---it's really "pre-living." Heaven will be truly living; this is just the preliminary!
How do I know this to be true? How do I know Dad will be in heaven soon? Simply put from that line in the the children's song: "for the Bible tells me so."
"He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:12
Dad heard the gospel: that he was a sinner in need of a Savior, that Jesus died on the cross to save Marshall Delano Ferguson, defeating sin and death, and he believed it!
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13
Dad listened to and obeyed the Holy Spirit's prompting his heart to leave his seat to walk down the aisle at the little church on a Tennessee dirt road across from his sister Luella's house in the early 1940s. (And he took his little brother with him...!) And that "going forward" didn't save him, it was only an outward sign of what was going on inside, of what he believed in his heart--to turn from his sin and trust Jesus Christ for "I have decided to follow Jesus."
I remember finding slides one day in a box on the bookshelf at the end of my parents' living room. Holding one up to the light, I was surprised to see a young-adult version of my dad surrounded by grade-school aged boys and even more surprised to have my "who is this?" question answered with "that's your dad with the Bible study boys he taught in Japan." How encouraging to know my dad was engaged and involved with living out his faith in those late-teen years!
Dad wasn't perfect. Sometimes he didn't do very well living for Jesus. But as we stand on the threshold of eternity, Dad's faith will become sight very soon. He will soon enter into his rest and reward. Oh how glorious! It is not death, after all, but truly life!
It is not death to die!
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