5.7.5. Talbert Ferguson (1888-1964)

Talbert Ferguson (1888 ~ 1964)

5.7.5. Fifth child of Sarah Adams and Samuel Ferguson, Talbert Ferguson, was born October 9, 1888, in W. Luther Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario.

He married Margaret McQueen, daughter of Donald McQueen and Margaret McLachlan, June 8, 1921, Mount Forest, Wellington Co., Ontario and had two children:

(5.7.5.1) Eldon Talbert (1923 ~ 1968)
(5.7.5.2) Donald Cameron (1924 ~ 2003)

Talbert Ferguson died August 5, 1964, aged 75 years and Margaret McQueen Ferguson died December 29, 1966, aged 73 years in Mount Forest, Ontario, and are interred at Mount Forest Cemetery.

----- MARRIAGE -----

Ferguson—McQueen

At the Baptist parsonage, Mount Forest, by Rev. Mr. Loveday, on Wednesday, June 8, 1921, Talbert Ferguson, of West Luther Twp., to Margaret McQueen of Egremont Twp. Mount Forest Confederate, June 9, 1921.

----- ANNIVERSARY -----

40th Anniversary

Mr. and Mrs. Talbert Ferguson of Conn were the guests of honor on the occasion of their fortieth wedding anniversary on Thursday, June 8, 1961, when fifty-five members of the family were present at a surprise dinner at the Golden Beaver, Ennotville, which is operated by a nephew and niece.

The table was decked with a beautiful anniversary cake made by Mrs. William McQueen and Mrs. Donald McQueen and decorated by Mrs. John Smith and Mrs. Wray Moore. Following the dinner a humorous sketch of Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson’s life and activities was read by Mrs. Robert Brown and was enjoyed by all. The guests of honor were presented with several beautiful gifts.

Members of the family were present from a number of distant points including Collingwood, Toronto, Hamilton and Guelph. Mount Forest Confederate, June 15, 1961.

----- OBITUARIES -----

Talbert Ferguson

Talbert Ferguson, a lifetime resident of the Conn district, passed away in the Louise Marshall Hospital on Wednesday, August 5, 1964, in his 76th year.

Mr. Ferguson was born on October 9, 1888, in West Luther Township, a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Ferguson. On June 8, 1921, he married the former Margaret McQueen, who survives. He had always taken a keen interest in agricultural advancement. Among the organizations with which he was connected were the Farmers’ Institute, U. F. O. and Federation of Agriculture. For many years he was associated with DeKalb Hybrid Corn Ltd. At the time of his death he was elder of the Westcott United Church and a director of the Mount Forest Cemetery Board. As a young man he was a member of Briton Lodge.

Surviving besides his wife are two sons, Eldon and Donald, on the homestead; one sister, Ida, Mrs. John Smith, Conn; three brothers, George and Erwin, Mount Forest; and Leonard, Collingwood. He was predeceased by three sisters and two brothers.

The funeral, held in Westcott Church on Saturday, August 8, was conducted by the Rev. J. W. Hird of Gorrie. Interment was in the family plot in Mount Forest Cemetery.

The pallbearers were Messrs. Clifford Adams, George Graham, Donald Moore, Archie Officer, Verne Small and Fred Smith.

The numerous floral tributes were carried by his nephews, Bill Brown, Melville, Harold, Ronald, Ed and Barry Ferguson, Addison Gear, Roy and Elmer Hunter, Vernon, Ed and Cameron McQueen, Vernon and Cecil Smith.

Relatives and friends were present from Bowmanville, Collingwood, Guelph, Hamilton, Kincardine, Orillia, Oshawa, Peterborough, Stroud, Teeswater, Toronto and other points. Mount Forest Confederate, Aug. 20, 1964.

Margaret McQueen Ferguson

December 18, 1893 ~ December 29, 1966

Mrs. Talbert Ferguson, a lifetime resident of the Conn district, passed away in the Louise Marshall Hospital on Thursday, December 29, 1966, in her 74th year.

Mrs. Ferguson was the former Margaret McQueen and was born on December 18, 1893, in Egremont Township, a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Donald McQueen. On June 8, 1921, she married Talbert Ferguson, and they farmed in West Luther Township, where she lived until the time of her death. She was predeceased by her husband in 1964. She was also predeceased by two brothers, John and James, both of Toronto.

Mrs. Ferguson was of a quiet and kindly nature and was dedicated to home life. The numerous floral tributes and donations to the Cancer Society and the Westcott United Church Women of which she was a member, testified to the esteem in which Mrs. Ferguson was held.

Surviving besides his wife are two sons, Eldon and Donald, at home; one sister, Irene, Mrs. Robert Brown, Priceville; two brothers, William and Donald McQueen of Conn.

The funeral, held in Westcott Church on Saturday, December 31 and was conducted by the minister, Mr. Stephen Shantz. Interment was in the family plot in Mount Forest Cemetery.

The pallbearers were Messrs. Clifford Adams, George Graham, Donald Moore, Archie Officer, Verne Small and Fred Smith.

The floral tributes were carried by nephews, Bill Brown, Robert, Melville, Harold, Ronald, and Laverne Ferguson, Addison Gear, Roy Hunter, Vernon, Ed and Donald McQueen, and Vernon Smith, and neighbors, Douglas and Ross Moore.

Relatives and friends were present from Oshawa, Enniskillen, Toronto, Fergus, Hamilton, Guelph, Baltimore, Maryland, Orillia, Collingwood and other points. Mount Forest Confederate, Jan. 5, 1967.

Donald McQueen

December 18, 1860 ~ March 7, 1959

With the death on Saturday, March 7, 1959, of Mr. Donald McQueen, Egremont Township lost one of its oldest and most highly respected citizens.

Mr. McQueen, the eldest son of the late John McQueen and his wife, Margaret Brown, both of whom came from the Isle of Islay, Scotland, was born December 18, 1860, on the farm where he lived most of his life.

On March 16, 1887, he married Margaret MacLachlan, who predeceased him in 1925. To them were born six children, four of whom survive. They are William, Donald and Margaret, Mrs. Talbert Ferguson, all of Conn; and Irene, Mrs. Robert Brown, of Priceville. He is also survived by ten grandchildren, four great grandchildren and two sisters, Mary, Mrs. Neil Dale of Toronto, and Miss Belle McQueen of Mount Forest.

He was predeceased by two sons, John and James, who died in 1954, and by four brothers and two sisters.

Mr. McQueen took and active interest in his community being reeve of Egremont Township for some six years during the early part of the century. He was a past president of the Mount Forest Agricultural Society of which he was the last charter member. He was also a past president of the Conn Telephone Company and of the Mount Forest–Wellington and Grey Telephone Company. He was a secretary of the Woodland Cemetery Company for 35 years giving up this duty about eight years ago. He was secretary of the Conn School Board for about 30 years from about 1910, as well as taking part in other local and township activities.

Mr. McQueen was a member if the Canadian Order of Foresters and of the Indepen-dent Order of Oddfellows, who conducted their service at the Gardiner Parlor Sunday evening.

The funeral service on Monday at the First Baptist Church of which he was a faithful member, and a trustee for some 50 years, was conducted by his pastor, the Rev. R. E. Humphries, assisted by the Rev. A. G. Hewitt of Conn United Church.

The pall bearers were Russel Neal, Hazel Ross, Lachlan MacArthur, Bert Donald, Rufus Funston and Norman MacPhee.

The many beautiful floral tributes were carried by James Feairs, Stanley Duncan, Joshua Monahan, Everett Funston, Fred Wakelim and Harry Leybourne.

Friends and relatives were present from Owen Sound, Fergus, Guelph, Toronto, Fordwich, King City and Priceville. Mount Forest Confederate, Mar. 12, 1959.

Margaret McLachlan McQueen

October 5, 1862 ~ April 25, 1925

About the middle of the nineteenth century there settled in the Township of Egremont two families, who emigrated to this country from Islay, Argyleshire, Scotland. These were the late John and Mary McLachlan and the late John and Margaret McQueen. To the former of these families six children were born, the eldest being Margaret, the subject of this sketch, who first saw the light of day on October 5, 1862. To the latter (with those of his second wife) nine children were given to bless the home, the eldest being Donald. The children from these homes, in common with those of the neighbourhood, grew up together, attended the same school and received much of the same nurture and care physically and religiously. On March 16, 1887, the eldest of the two families became husband and wife, and to them God gave six children: John, Druggist, Bentley, Alta.; James Lachlan, Mathematical Superintendent, Riverdale Technical School, Toronto; Margaret, wife of Mr. Talbert Ferguson, Conn; William, Donald and Irene at home, the latter being a senior matriculation student of Mount Forest High School. The late Mrs. McQueen was converted at an early age under the ministry of Rev. Mr. McLeish, an evangelist, who in those early days held a series of missions at Cedarville, Woodland and Mount Forest. In 1894 the late Mrs. McQueen, together with her husband, was baptized into the fellowship of the Mount Forest Baptist Church, of which she remained a faithful and consistent member until her death, which occurred early Saturday morning, April 25, 1925 at the Fergus Hospital, following a very brief illness and operation. The funeral services were conducted by her pastor, Rev. George W. Conners, at her late home, on Monday afternoon, April 27th. Mr. Conners discourse was based upon the hope of immortality and very tenderly and feelingly spoke of the deceased in her home, community and religious life. The floral tributes and the great throng of relatives and friends in attendance evidenced the high esteem in which she was held. Friends from a distance present at the funeral were her son James, Toronto; Mr. and Mrs. Dougal Campbell, and Mrs. Armstrong, Dundalk; Mrs. Thomas Dunnington and son Thomas, Mr. Rutherford Mitchell, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Sinclair, Mrs. Ronald Gilchrist, and Miss Jeanette Buchanan, Chatsworth; Mr. Neil McArthur, Owen Sound. She leaves to mourn her loss, besides her sorrowing husband and family, two sisters, Isabella, wife of Mr. Ronald McEachern, Egremont; Christina, widow of the late Neil McArthur, Toronto; two brothers, Archibald and James, Edmonton, Alta. A third brother, William predeceased her. Those who with sympathetic carefulness bore the bier to its last resting place in the Mount Forest Cemetery, were Ronald McEachern, Douglass Currie, Duncan McQueen, John McPhee, Archibald McEachern and Alfred Young. “Sleep, beloved, sleep! Thou canst not come again to us, but we may go to thee.” Mount Forest Confederate, Apr. 30, 1925.

John McQueen

March 22, 1832 ~ September 22, 1899

Death came suddenly on Friday morning last, September 22, 1899, to John McQueen, one of the best known residents of Egremont. He and his son Donald had been at Guelph fair and came back from the Royal city by Thursday evening’s G.T.R. train. They drove home together and Mr. McQueen, Jr., left his father at his own gate. Mr. McQueen, Sr., took a lunch before going to bed and retired about twelve o’clock. He appeared to be in the best of health. About three o’clock in the morning his wife noticed him moving uneasily and when she found something was the matter with him she called the family but in a few minutes Mr. McQueen was dead.

The end came as a severe shock to the family and friends of the deceased for he had been in good health and was a man who had never needed to take medicine. A doctor who was called decided that death was due to apoplexy. Mr. McQueen was sixty-seven years and six months old. He was born in Islay, Argyllshire, Scotland, and came to this country with the rest of his family in 1850. They settled first in the township of Mariposa but the deceased and his brother Allan came west in 1854 and settled in Egremont, being among the earliest settlers in the township. The deceased settled on Lots 28 and 29, Concession 5, where his son, Donald, township councilor, now resides. In 1860 he was married to Margaret Brown of the township of Sullivan, near Owen Sound, who lived for only five years afterwards. Later Mr. McQueen married again, his bride being Ann McDonald of the township of Mariposa who survives him. The following children are also living: by the first marriage—Donald, Egremont; Archie, United States; Mrs. Cook, Portage la Prairie, Man.; by the second marriage—Duncan, Egremont; John, Allan, Sarah Ann, Mary, Isabella, all at home. Allan McQueen of Mount Forest is a brother of deceased while Mrs. Robert Brown of Mount Forest and Mrs. J. F. McLaughlin of Cedarville are sisters. Mr. McQueen had been living about twenty-two years on the farm where he died. Deceased was very highly respected wherever he was known. In religion he was a Baptist and in politics a pronounced Reformer. The funeral took place on Tuesday to Woodland Cemetery. Mount Forest Confederate, Sept. 28, 1899.