Ervin Basil Ferguson

Born June 3,1938 in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada to Jim and Bernadette Ferguson. He became a US naturalized citizen on March 30, 1955 in Omaha NE at age 17.

He lived on a farm at Rycroft, Alberta, Canada where his father worked for Jim Hanna. He rode horseback to country school at age 6 and would also go to town in a horse drawn sleigh. He went to public school taught by Catholic nuns. When the Hanna's bought a ranch south of Wood Lake, NE, Erv's family moved to that ranch forming a partnership with Jim and Alta Hanna. Erv grew up learning how to do many jobs at 10 - 11 years old like feeding cattle, driving a 6 horse- hitch, running a forge, milking cows, and checking windmills and pastures on horseback. Attended a country school (3-6 grades). After his father passed away, his family moved into the town of Wood Lake for grades 7-8. At age 12 he started working summers in the hayfields for various ranchers.

His mother married Bruce Boynton and the family moved to Omaha, NE, where Erv attended and graduated from North High School, a big change for a young fellow going from a small school to a class of 400. He was in the top 5% of his class and played football, basketball and ran track. He attended 1 ½ years at Midland College in Fremont, NE on a football scholarship. Every summer through his high school years he would return to what he loved, working on ranches in the Sandhills.

On November 16, 1957 he married his high school sweetheart, Vernelle Skiff. They were married 64 years and had four children - Deb, Kris, Pam and Tim.

Erv and Vernelle moved to their ranch south of Wood Lake in 1959. Jim Hanna was a special mentor to a young man eager to learn and begin what would become a 40+ year's way of life. The ranch needed a lot of repair and fixing, the house (an 1889 log cabin) eventually turned into a comfortable home for the family. Erv took great pride in haying, managing pasture grass, grooming and developing good ranch horses and taking care of the cattle saying "the only thing I didn't like about ranching is hauling off the dead ones". He was so good at spotting sick livestock and then doctoring them, and learned to set broken bones and perform C sections.

Many young men helped at the ranch that Erv and Vernelle appreciated so much. Erv believed in not asking them to do anything he would not do himself. Kevin Blake and Lee Parker were there 9+ years and Erv trusted them immensely and worked with them to start building their own cattle numbers. Erv loved having his own children help on the ranch, teaching them to help with cattle work, haying, branding and fencing.

Erv was one of the organizers and active member of the Wood Lake Fire Dept, helped with 4-H activities, NE State High School Rodeo Board and Ainsworth High School Rodeo Committee, Ainsworth Booster Club, Associate Guardian of the Ainsworth Jobs Daughters, Masonic Lodge of Wood Lake (the youngest Master Mason in Nebraska at that time), Elks member, 50 year Eastern Star Member (Worthy Patron 17 years), Associate Sentinel of Grand Chapter, York Rite and Scottish Rite, Tangiers Shriners, Nebraska Brand Inspector(17 years), President of Old West Days Committee, Valentine, NE where he organized a 125 horse parade. Erv was an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous and his family was never more proud of his 30+ years sobriety.

In 1997, Erv and Vernelle sold their ranch and retired to the Black Hills of SD. Erv was a field rep for the Sturgis and St Onge Livestock Auctions.

Erv enjoyed collecting spurs and bits, making horseshoe and leather crafts, and rope baskets. He was a master at tying different knots in rope. He enjoyed giving the things he made, away to friends. He loved working with and driving his buggy team.

One of his favorite times was when he went on a Boy Scout camping trip with his son and twin grandsons in the Grand Tetons. At 70 years old he slept on a cot for 10 days and loved every minute of it because he was with the boys. He also loved all the great places he had an opportunity to ride horseback - the Sandhills and Ft Robinson in NE, Devils Nest and the Black Hills, SD.

In 2020, Erv and Vernelle moved to Las Vegas, NV to be closer to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Erv enjoyed the warmer weather and no longer having to shovel snow. He also enjoyed various horse events at the south Point Arenas.

Erv was preceded in death by his parents, step- father Bruce, and brother Rod. Survivors include wife, Vernelle, brother Arch, sister Donna, daughter Deb Murphy, Gering, NE, daughter Kris Haney, Gillette, WY, daughter Pam (Scot) Strassburg, Rockford, IL, son Tim (Julie) Ferguson Las Vegas, NV, 6 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

There will be no funeral service and the family is planning a small, private Remembrance at a later date.