James Miller Ferguson was reunited with his sweetheart, Erin Kay Smith Ferguson, on April 17, 2022, at the age of 89. James is survived by his 5 children, Terry (Teresa Lee) Ferguson, Christa Platt (Richard), Bryan Ferguson (Diane), Melinda McCarthy (Kevin), and Laura Struempler (Chris), as well as his brother, Bill (William) Ferguson and his wife, Sharla, and nieces and nephews. His life’s legacy includes 17 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. There was nothing in this world that made him happier or prouder than his family.
James was born in 1932 in Lancaster, Texas, and graduated from Lancaster High School in 1949. James and Kay were married in 1952, and they shared 58 years of devotion until she passed away in 2010. From that time, he always carried a picture of Kay in his front shirt pocket, knowing that he would eventually spend eternity with her and his family in Heavenly Father’s Kingdom. James served in the U.S. Naval Air Corps from 1952-1954 and was stationed at the Texas Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. In 1956, he earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing at the University of North Texas and worked diligently to support his family through a successful career in semi-conductor sales management with companies such as Texas Instruments and R.C.A.
James was a steadfast member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; this unwavering faith in God and the gospel of Jesus Christ was manifest through his unconditional love of family and service to others. Both James and Kay served an 18-month volunteer mission together in the Translation Division located in the Church Office Building, Salt Lake City, Utah. James also served 19 years as a Temple Ordinance Worker in the Dallas Temple. Later in life, he developed a passion for genealogy and focused on tracing his Scottish heritage, of which he was very proud. James published a family history book in 2017 titled “Pioneer Families of North Texas: Ferguson, Taylor, Miller, Barnes,” which he proudly distributed to his descendants and local libraries.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 23, 2022 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 970 Coit Road in Prosper, Texas. Interment will follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park, 2525 Central Expressway North in Allen, Texas. The family will receive friends during a visitation one hour prior to the service at the church.
James will be greatly missed by friends and family, and memories of him will be treasured.