Obituary - Doris Dowdle Ferguson

FERGUSON, Doris Dowdle, age 95, of Henrico, Va., passed away on June 27, 2022.

Doris, loving mother, cherished grandmother and great friend to many, was preceded in death by her parents, Jesse and Alma Dowdle; husband, the Rev. William S. Ferguson, who predeceased her in 2016 after 64 years of marriage; a son, Paul Frederick Ferguson; and grandson, Justin Kyle Ferguson. She is survived by her sons, David William Ferguson (Deborah) and Joseph Keith Ferguson (Jan); daughter, Ellen Ferguson Thurston (Mike); her grandchildren, Scott Thurston (Emma), Graham Ferguson, Amy Thurston Hellwig (Tyler), Ryan Ferguson; six nephews and expected great-grandson in August.

As the wife of a United Methodist minister, Doris was always by her husband Bill's side, helping to support and lead through Christ the many church congregations over the years. Doris was born in Columbus, Mississippi, where she lived through her undergraduate years as a student at the Mississippi State College for Women. She continued her education at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., where she met Bill and earned her Master of Religious Education. After all her four children were in school, Doris worked as an English teacher for the Franklin County, Va. and Culpeper County, Va. school systems. Soon after moving to the Richmond, Va. area, Doris began her extended career at the Baptist Foreign Mission Board, as a Word Processing Supervisor, until she retired in 1991. She was a key caregiver for her grandchildren during their early years and they all looked forward to having their beloved Nan Nan come take care of them while their parents worked.

Besides her great love for her grandchildren, Doris was a proficient knitter her whole life and more recently knitted baby caps for the Henrico Christmas Mother, plus for the infants of many family and friends. Doris was a wonderful pianist, with the ability to play most any song "by ear" and just recently played for other Chestnut Grove residents this past Memorial Day. When asked what were some of her favorite things, it was always the same response - chocolate and Dr. Pepper.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 9 at 11 a.m. at Discovery United Methodist Church, 13000 Gayton Rd., Henrico, Va. 23233. A reception will be held after the service. Memorials may be sent to Discovery United Methodist Church, where Doris was a member for almost 18 years, or the American Cancer Society.

The Ferguson family is appreciative of the support and care given to Doris at the Chestnut Grove assisted living facility for almost 10 years and want to thank all of the friends who have taken the time to visit her at Chestnut Grove over the years.