Agnes Val A. Villaseno Ferguson

Agnes A. "Val" Ferguson, 89, of Niantic, passed away on Wednesday, August 18th. She's now re-united with her husband, N. Robert, her mother and father, Florence and Louis Villaseno, three sisters, Marie, Louise and Josephine, her eldest grandson, Robert Jr., a son-in-law, Charles Mertens, and an infant son.

She was born Nov. 6, 1920, in Sioux City, Iowa - graduated class president as an RN from the Sisters of Mercy in Iowa, and in March of 1944 joined the Army's 94th Evacuation Hospital, where she served on a hospital train in the European Theater in Italy. She earned a bronze star while caring for wounded U.S. and Allied soldiers. After serving 18 monthes, she left the service as a First Lieutenant.

In 1947 she met and soon married another proud veteran, N. Robert Ferguson, of Seekonk, MA. The couple moved to

New England, where they eventually settled in CT, and raised 8 children. Agnes returned to work as a nurse, working at several

nursing home facilities before taking a position at Seaside Regional Center for the Mentally Retarded, in Waterford. From there

she went on to join the staff at Uncas-On-Thames Hospital, in Norwich, where she cared primarily for terminally-ill cancer patients.

Agnes was always known for her caring and compassion for all those in her charge. She is remembered by many families who

watched her comfort and care for loved ones in their most difficult moments in life. Her work as a nurse was a credit to a profession she was truly "called to" - she was a woman with seemingly endless abilities to comfort and care for those in need.

Though her patients and clients were always important to her, nothing compared to her family. She was a wife who stood by her husband of 53 years, and a mother who put nothing ahead of her 8 children, 17 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Her children had a mother who gave everything she had to each of them - they all felt the unconditional love that every child should know. Though the family suffered through some difficult times, she was always there to make sense of things, to guide and comfort always. She held her faith close to her and all who knew her gained strength from her goodness and her enormous heart.

She will be sadly missed by her children, Robert K. Ferguson and his wife Sharon, of Old Lyme, Cheryl Mertens and her partner, Anthony Skorek, of Niantic, Penny Patch and her husband Wayne, of Clinton, William Ferguson and his wife, Crystal, of Old Lyme, James Ferguson of Niantic, Deborah Ferguson and her fiancee John McTurk of CT and MT, Mary-Anne Beers and her husband, Spencer, of Niantic, and Patricia Williams and her fiancee Robert Dawes, of Niantic. Her grandchildren will never forget a grandmother who loved and cared for each one of them - Michael and Molly Ferguson of Old Lyme, Robert K.’s partner Michelle Brodeur of Salem, Natalie, Heather, Wayne and Matthew Patch of Clinton, William Ferguson of Old Lyme, Spencer Beers Jr. and his wife Alyssa of Niantic, Christopher and Jonathan Beers of Niantic, Katie Pollard and her husband Chris, of Waterford, and Spencer, Nicole, Alexandra, Trevor Williams, and Patrick Dawes, of Niantic. She was also blessed with 8 great-grandchildren who will remember her through the fond memories that their parents will undoubtedly share with them to keep their grandmother's precious memory alive. Agnes was also particularly close to her sister Jo’s family, Cindy and Anthony Unan and their children of Washington.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday at 10:30am in St. Agnes Church, 22 Haigh St., Niantic. Burial with military honors will follow in Union Cemetery. Calling hours will held on tomorrow from 4-7pm at Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, 13 Lake Ave., Niantic.

Donations in her memory can be made to either of the following: The Autism Society of Connecticut, P.O. Box 1404, Guilford, CT 06437 or to: The East Lyme Ambulance Fund, 8 Grand Street, Niantic, CT 06357.