Thomas Clayton Ferguson (photos)
birth
December 19, 1910 Iron River, Bayfield County, Wisconsin
death
October 15, 1952
parents
Lester Ulysses Ferguson and Laura Abigail Culbertson

Ethel Maude Johns (photos)
birth
October 5, 1915
death
January 17, 1991
parents
John Oates Johns and Hilda Grigg

children
1   Clayton Ferguson
2   Joan Ferguson
3   Living
4   Living
5   Living

notes and bio info
Thomas Clayton Ferguson was born to Lester and Laura Ferguson in Iron River, Bayfield County, Wisconsin.  His parents had a 160 acre farm just North West of town where he grew up (click here to see photos of his parents farm).  Tom was the 10th of 11 children.  Several of his siblings would move to Iowa and Tom would often travel there, especially during the fall to help bring the crops in.  He also would hire himself out for corn picking at other farms while in Iowa.  It was said that Tom was known for being the fastest corn picker anyone ever saw.

Tom  found work during the depression era by joining the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps).

Ethel Maude Johns was born to John and Hilda Johns in Wakefield, Gogebic County, Michigan.  She would grow up in Wakefield, a small iron mining town along the Upper Michigan, Northern Wisconsin border.

Tom and Ethel would marry and would live in Iron River.  They had a small cabin on Moon Lake.  While living in Iron River Tom's father Lester passes away.  Tom's uncle Clinton had just been laid to rest, when his father Lester decided to walk home, but never made it.  Not arriving home, Tom and his younger brother Harold, who also still lived in town were sent to look for their father.  They found their fathers body in a small grove of pines.  It looked like he had been tiered so he sat down to take a nap or rest and never woke, probably passing away in his sleep. (read article)
 
Tom and Ethel would have a son Clayton who would not live long.  Tom would have his infant son Clayton buried in the Ferguson Family plat in Iron River City Cemetery.

Eventually Tom and Ethel would purchase and build a farm west of Washburn in Bayfield County, Wisconsin.  They would have four more children as well.

To help with money till the farm could provide enough income Tom would take a night job at the DuPont Munitions Plant in neighboring Barksdale.  The farm would finally begin to turn a proffit, so Tom would give notice.  Then tragedy struck.  Before his last day, there was a explosion on October 15, 1952 that killed Tom and seven of his fellow workers (read article).  Ethel would burry her husband back in Iron River City Cemetery.  Not far from their infant son buried there years earlier.

Ethel was a widow with four young children along with a farm to run.  Ethel would move into town (Washburn).  She would become a cook to suport her family, mostly cooking in schools.  She would live in Washburn for about five years after the death of Tom.  It was five years to the day of losing her husband that she would decide to leave Washburn.  Ethel decided to drive past the DuPont plant on her way home.  The plant exploded as she was driving past, blowing her car off the road and into a ditch, nearly killing her.  After this she would move on. 

Ethel would move south and settle in New Berlin, Waukesha County, Wisconsin.  Ethel would be a school cook there. 

Ethel would move to take other cooking jobs throughout her life.  Her last cooking job was for a boarding house called the "Wesley House" located in Houghton, Michigan.  Wesley House was a Lutheran boarding house for the students of the two colleges of the Houghton, Hancock area.  Ethel would retire from there and move back to Wakefield. 

Ethel's daughter Joan and son-in-law had bought her parents home in Wakefield.  They had a empty lot next to the house that Ethel would put a mobile home on.  Ethel would live out the rest of her days living in her new home, next door to the home she grew up in.  She would pass away in 1991 and would be buried in Iron River next to her husband (photo).

sources

1  Title: Wisconsin Du Pont Munitions Plant Blows Up
Publication: Wednesday, October 15, 1952
Media: Newspaper

2 Title: Buried Brother; Died on Way Home
Author: The Iron River Pioneer
Publication: Iron River, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, Thursday, March 10, 1932
Media: Newspaper

3 Title: Lester and Laura Ferguson Family Book
Author: Barb Ferguson
Publication: created by Barb Ferguson with help from family members
Media: Book

4 Title: Death Claims Mrs. Ross
Author: The Iron River Pioneer
Publication: Iron River, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, Thursday, February 2, 1941
Media: Newspaper

5 Title: Iron River City Cemetery Records
Publication: Iron River, Bayfield County, Wisconsin
Media: Tombstone