Ruby Fay Ferguson

Ruby Fay Ferguson was born on November 20, 1920 in Duncan, Oklahoma, to William Earl Meadows and Nannie (Kee) Meadows. She was their fourth and youngest child. Her siblings were James Meadows, William Meadows and Wrenas Mason, all now deceased. Ruby and her family moved often to accommodate her father’s work. When Ruby was in third grade, the family settled down in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Ruby’s father was a barber so in many of the childhood pictures you will see her and her siblings with short, crisp haircuts. It was a frugal life, as those years were, with hand-me-down clothes and quilts made by Ruby’s mom. The food was plentiful though, with fresh vegetables, homemade bread, and delicious deserts made from whatever precious supplies were available.

Ruby married James Emory Ferguson on December 5, 1936. Ruby and Emory came to California in 1939, but after nine months moved back home. Soon after President Roosevelt declared World War II, Ruby, Emory, and many members of the family packed their belongings and moved to California to work in the shipyards. After living for short periods in Benicia, Vallejo, Castro Valley and Fresno, Ruby and Emory settled in Modesto.

Ruby did not have an easy time bearing children. She had numerous miscarriages and they lost their first daughter, Linda Jean, at six months. But through strength and determination, Ruby and Emory had three children, Emory, Emeral, and Wendel.

Although Emory preferred that Ruby not work outside the home, she found a way to be both a wonderful wife and homemaker, to work some summers in the cannery, and also became an excellent seamstress and tailor. She made all of Emeral’s clothes and took great pride in the wedding and bridesmaids dresses she created. She made time to be a Cub Scout den mother, volunteer for United Way and March of Dimes, and worked at many election polling booths. When Wendel suffered with Asthma attacks, Ruby did everything in her power to soothe him and get medical help for him. When Emory Allen needed help with a prank on his rival high school, she even babysat the “Downey Duck” until game time. The duck (a real duck) wearing a blue vest handmade by Ruby, was proudly paraded around the football stadium by the Modesto High mascot, a black panther.

Through the years Emory and Ruby’s house became “the gathering pace.” At some point almost every weekend grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors were together. Ruby would often say, “We’ll just put another potato in the pot.” Her most popular dish by far was brown beans and fried potatoes with onion. However, Emeral told me that her husband Gene said, “he knew he had to marry me when he tasted mom’s gravy.”

As expected, Ruby and Emory’s children married, Emory Allen to Patricia, Emeral to John, and Wendel to Linda. As time went by, Ruby’s family grew to include five grandchildren, Kimberly, John, Bob, Jim, and Ted. As the grandchildren married, Kimberly to Steve, John to Elaine, Bob to Venessa, and Jim to Brandy, great grandchildren came along: Travis, Phoebe, Camille, Hayden and Sierra. Ruby and Emory loved their entire family with passion and were wonderful examples of honesty, integrity and hard work. Ruby had a wonderful smile and infectious laugh, and the “best hug ever.”

Emeral would like to share Ruby’s love for Jesus. Emeral said the first song she remembers singing with her mother was “Jesus Loves Me.” After Emory’s death Ruby took great solace in church, and missed going to services when she could no longer do so. In the last weeks of Ruby’s life, Emeral and Ruby would talk about heaven and being together again with Emory and Grandma, all the siblings and babies. In one of the last of these conversations about faith, Emeral shared her favorite bible verse with Ruby, 3 John, verse 4, “No greater joy can I have but this, to hear that my children follow the truth.” Ruby was quiet for a moment, then smiled and simply said, “I like that very much.”

Emeral, Gene, Emory and Patricia would like to give a special thanks to their brother, Wendel, for the 24 hour loving care he gave to their mother in her last months. The family would also like to thank Community Hospice whose kindness and support were invaluable.