Gordon David Ferguson

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Gordon David Ferguson of Jonesboro passed from this life on Friday, September 1, 2023, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro.  He was 90 years old.

David was born in 1932 at St. Bernards Hospital. He was the only child of Gordon Samuel Ferguson and Sibyl Hay Ferguson. He lived all of his life in Jonesboro.

David never sat still. He grew up working at Jonesboro Dressed Meat Company, a family business dating back generations. After graduating from Jonesboro High School in 1950, David became an electrician and eventually earned his Master Electrician license.

David was a founding partner in City-Rural Electric Company, specializing in residential, commercial, and industrial electrical service. He even performed contract electrical work on the Titan Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Program in Central Arkansas in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Although David sold his interest in City-Rural at an early age, he never retired. Whether it was teaching a grandchild about ohms and amps, inventing an alarm to provide advanced warning of a rising river, or helping a friend or family member with a home project, David’s work as an electrician never ceased.

Neither did his entrepreneurial spirit. In 1956, David and his mother redeveloped their family’s cattle farm into Craighills Golf Course, a 9-hole public golf course located near Craighead Forest Park. The course provided enjoyment (and frustration) to thousands of local golfers—and a handful of regular bridge and rummy players—for nearly 50 years before closing in 2003.

David was also a musician. He began drumming at an early age and was a member of several local bands, including The Thunderbirds. He hosted a radio program called Ferguson’s Musical Madhouse as a young adult. And he was a regular on the Rock’n Roll Highway, playing shows at the Silver Moon Club in Newport and the Cotton Club in Trumann. David kept the same drum set for over 60 years and was known to perform solos for family members and caretakers in the months prior to his passing.

David had an infectious laugh. He was an avid reader, an expert marksman, an inventor, an excellent cook, a lover of local history, and a fisherman. He was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and later attended First United Methodist Church. He was a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Jonesboro.  And he rarely missed Jeopardy or morning coffee with his friends.  But the biggest joy of his life was spending time with his family.

David married the love of his life, Betsy Smith, in 1950. He was 17. She was 16. With the help of lifelong friend Carol Anderson Fenner, David and Betsy eloped under cover of night to Hernando, Mississippi, where a Justice of the Peace performed an impromptu, but memorable, ceremony. From then on, David and Betsy were inseparable. Their family would soon grow, with Betsy giving birth to five daughters before the age of 28. Over the years, their home would serve as the site of countless holiday celebrations, family get-togethers, and grandchild sleepovers, although David was known to retire early to read a book and escape the noise.

David and Betsy enjoyed 69 years of marriage before Betsy’s passing in 2019. They leave a legacy that includes:

Five daughters and their husbands: Susan and Ron Jackson of Russellville; Judy and Roger Moore of Jonesboro; Valerie and Bobby Statton of Mountain Home; Beryl and Eddie Mitchell of Jonesboro; and Bebe and Jim Faryewicz of North Little Rock.

Five grandchildren and their spouses: Barry and Rachel Jackson of Little Rock; Scott and Becca Jackson of Fayetteville; John David Mitchell of Jonesboro; Jimmy Faryewicz and Sarah Smith of Colorado Springs; and Valerie (Faryewicz) and Eliot York of Clyde, North Carolina.

And seven great grandchildren: Anna Jackson, Charlotte Jackson, Greer Jackson, Connor Jackson, Olivia York, Rowan York, and Casper York.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 6, at Emerson Memorial Chapel with Rev. Don Martin officiating. Burial will follow in Jonesboro Memorial Park.

Visitation will precede the funeral service from 1:00-2:00 p.m. in Emerson Chapel. Grandchildren will serve as pallbearers.

The family wishes to acknowledge the excellent personal care given to David by Tina Davis, Whitley Cornelious, Tara Cornelious, Brenda Wilson, Macayla Taylor, Jennifer Long, Hannah Piggie, and Kierra Hodges, all of whom he considered members of his extended family.

For lasting memorials, the family asks that consideration be given to the Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House, 400 East St., Jonesboro, AR 72401; St. Jude's Children's Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or to the charity of the donor's choice.