George Feirstine Ferguson
George Feirstine Ferguson, former trustee of Beavercreek township and the proprietor of a farm on the Dayton-Xenia pike, rural mail route No. 7 out of Xenia, where he has lived since the days of his childhood, was born in that township on March 7, 1850, son of John W. and Anna (Feirstine) Ferguson, the latter of whom was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. August 13, 1820, a member of one of the prominent Pennsylvania Dutch families of that county, her father, a landowner and tavern-keeper, having been for some time a member of the Pennsylvania state Legislature from his district. Her mother's name was Susan Illick. Anna Feirstine's eldest brother, George Feirstine, came to Ohio and located in Montgomery county and she later joined him there, thus being a resident of that county at the time of her marriage to John W. Ferguson. One of her younger brothers, Samuel Feirstine, also came to Ohio and was here when the Mexican war broke out. He enlisted his services, went to the front and died of a fever in the service.
John W. Ferguson was born in the neighboring county of Montgomery on August 18, 1818, a son of William and Jennie (Watson) Ferguson, the latter of whom was born in Ireland, of Scottish descent, and was but two years of age when she came with her parents to this country, the family locating in Delaware, where she grew to womanhood and married William Ferguson, who was born at Wilmington, that state, also of Scottish stock. Soon after their marriage William Ferguson and his wife came to Ohio, about the year 1812, and became pioneers in Montgomery county, establishing their home in Mad River township, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They had eight sons. John W. Ferguson grew up on the home farm in Mad River township, Montgomery county, and there married Anna Feirstine. Two years later he came over into Greene county and began working on the Gerlaugh farm, now owned by John Harbine, in the Alpha neighborhood in Beavercreek township, and presently was enabled to buy a farm of two hundred and twenty-one acres on the Dayton-Xenia road in that neighborhood, the place now owned by his son, George F., and had the same paid for when he died on May 15, 1861, he then being forty-two years of age. His widow was left with six children, tlie eldest of whom was but thirteen years of age. She did not remarry, kept the family together, maintained the operations of the farm, her sons taking oyer the management of the same when they arrived at proper age, and there she spent tiie remainder of her life, her death occurring in December, 1898, she then being seventy-six years of age. She was a member of the Hawker Reformed church, as was her husband, and her children were reared in that faith. There were six of these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being William. a Beavercreek township farmer; Charles, who died of diphtheria in 1861, the year of the father's death, he then being nine years of age; Jennie, wife of John Kable, a Sugarcreek township farmer, living two miles north of Bellbrook; John, who died of diphtheria in 1861, he then being five years of age. and Robert, now a resident of Dayton, where he is employed as a bookkeeper in the service of the Miami "conservancy" board.
George F. Ferguson was but eleven years of age when his fatlier died. He grew up on the home farm in Beavercreek township, receiving his schooling in the Coy school and in the Lantz school, and he and his brother William continued the operation of the farm together until their mother's death in 1896, after which Mr. Ferguson bought the interests of the other heirs in the place and has since been proprietor. Since taking possession of the farm he bought an adjoining tract of sixty-six acres and now has two hundred and eighty-five acres. After his marriage in 1874 he erected a new house on the place and the same is still serving as a place of residence. Of late years Mr. Ferguson has been living practically retired from the active labors of the farm, having turned the management of the same over to his elder son, Edwin J. Ferguson, who is operating it. Mr. Ferguson is a Democrat, as were his father and grandfather, and for fifteen years served as trustee of Beavercreek township and was also for several years a member of the township board of education. In addition to his general farming Mr. Ferguson has for years made it a point to feed a car load of cattle for the market every winter, as well as a big bunch of hogs, and was one of the first in that neighborhood to recognize the value of alfalfa as a forage crop.
On December 18, 1874, George F. Ferguson was united in marriage to Martha J. Zimmerman, who also was born in Beavercreek township, on a farm a mile west of where she is now living, daughter of Jacob and Mary (Shoup) Zimmerman, members of pioneer families in this county and both of whom are now deceased. To this union four children have been born, namely: Edwin J., unmarried, who is now operating the home place for his father and who is the owner of a farm of eighty acres of his own; Mary, who died unmarried at the age of twenty-six years; Clarence, who married Ora Morris and is now living at Louisville, Kentucky, where he is employed as an inspector for the National Lumber Association, and Lida M., who is at home.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918