Shirley Cooper Ferguson

Born in Madison Heights, March 12, 1934, Shirley was the daughter of the late Samuel Jones Cooper and Maggie Hughes Cooper. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Hugh Cecil Ferguson and nine siblings. Over the years, she and Cecil spent many wonderful summers camping at Isaac Walton Lake with many nights spent around the campfires with friends and family. She especially loved playing bingo and listening to live bluegrass and was a member of The James River Bluegrass Association.

Shirley loved her Madison Heights Community deeply and spent her life in service to its people. As a member of Madison Heights Baptist church, she made lifelong friendships in The Gleaning Sunday School class.

Beyond these activities, Shirley truly took the expression, “it takes a village to raise a child” to heart and as a personal mission. She centered her life around the care and keeping of so many children in Madison Heights. In addition to raising her own three children, she was very involved in the lives of her nine grandchildren. Beyond her immediate family she also taught Sunday School at church, could often be found volunteering at the Dixie Youth Ball Fields and cheering on all of the kids and spent many years at Amelon Elementary working in the cafeteria with the children she loved. She opened her home and her heart to be so much more than a sitter to so many children over the years. To those kids and their parents, she was like a bonus grandmother that they could always rely on.

She is survived by two daughters, Ann Marie Staton (Leon) and Kay Rowe (Jeff); one son, Hugh Ferguson (Tina); nine grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. In addition to family, she survived by her beloved friend at Fairmont Crossing, Linda Nelson. The family is grateful for the compassion and care showered on her by the staff at Fairmont Crossings over the past few years.

A graveside service will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at Fort Hill Memorial Park with Dr. Tim Madison officiating. Friends are welcome to the home of her daughter, Ann Marie on Tuesday evening, June 20, 2023 between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Shirley's memory may be made to Madison Heights Baptist Church, 329 Main St., Madison Heights, Virginia, www.madisonheightsbaptist.com.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.whittenmonelison.com for the Ferguson family.