Alta Mae (Rowles) Ferguson (1896 - 2000)

Born 29 Oct 1896 in Clearfield, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Died 25 Feb 2000 at age 103 in State College, Centre, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michele Rowles [send private message]

Biography

Alta Mae Rowles⁵ (Harry⁴, John³, Andrew², John¹); b. Oct 1895 at Pennsylvania; b. 29 Oct 1896 at Pennsylvania; Oct 20 1896 from SSDI; m. William Mahaffey Ferguson, son of George M. Ferguson and Sophia Elizabeth Mahaffey, 25 Aug 1919 at Chicago, Illinois; d. 25 Feb 2000 at State College, Pennsylvania, at age 103.

Find A Grave: Memorial #156112995

She was also known as Alta Mary. From the Clearfield Republican, October 25, 1901, Great Advance Made Little Alta ROWLES, three year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry E. ROWLES, of Cherry street, has fully recovered from a very severe case of diphtheria. When the physicians were called the child was unconscious and her throat swelled shut. A tube was inserted in the wind-pipe and kept there for a week, during which period anti-toxine was administered regularly. This case only illustrates the great advance made by medical science in the last few years in the treatment of this dread disease. Ten years ago the case of this child would have been hopeless from the start. To-day all up-to-date physicians are prepared for diphtheria cases and the percentage of deaths is comparatively small. Drs. LEIPOLDT and BENNETT had charge of the case.

The Clearfield Progress - Clearfield, PA - Tuesday, February 28, 2000

Alta Rowles Ferguson, 103, of Clearfield died Friday, Feb. 25, 2000, at Renaissance Quality Residential Elder Care in State College. Born Oct. 20, 1896, in Clearfield, she was the daughter of the late Harry E. and Patience (Straw) Rowles. On Aug. 25, 1919, she married William Mahaffey Ferguson in Chicago, who preceded her in death. They returned to Mahaffey to reside in the family owned Mahaffey House Hotel until it was destroyed by fire a few years later. After a time in Reynoldsville, Clearfield became their permanent home in 1928. She was a graduate of Central Normal School - now Lock Haven University — in 1915 and at the time of her death, she was the oldest living alumnus. She taught full-time in the Clearfield School District from 1915 to 1918 and intermittently throughout her life as a substitute teacher until her retirement at the age of 83. Mrs. Ferguson was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Clearfield. She was a member of the Clearfield County Historical Society where she was a founder and lifetime board member emeritus; Daughters of the American, Revolution in which she held many offices including that of regent for two terms; National Society of the DAR; Central Southwest Pennsylvania Regents Club DAR; Chinklacamoose Chapter of the Daughters of the American Colonists where she was regent from 1973-76. She was also a member of the Daughters of the Colonial Wars of Pennsylvania, the Huguenot Society of Pennsylvania, the Clearfield Heritage Foundation of which was founder; the Daughters of the Clearfield Hospital Auxiliary, the Clearfield Auxiliary and the Clearfield Hobby Garden Club. She helped establish the Community Concert Association in Clearfield. In her lifetime, she was the recipient of many citations and acknowledgments. In 1981, the Clearfield Business and Professional Women's Club named her Woman of the Year. She is survived by two daughters, Elizabeth F. Kearns of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Nancy F. Desmond of State College; four grandchildren, Michael Desmond and his wife, Julia, of State College, John Desmond and his wife, Margaret, of Cape May, N.J.; Cynthia Ellis and her husband, Gary, of Wynnwood; Melissa Leyde and her husband, Chris, of State College; and five great- grandchildren. A graveside service will be held at Mahaffey Cemetery at the convenience of the family.

Known children of Alta Mae Rowles and William Mahaffey Ferguson are as follows:

• i. Elizabeth Ann Ferguson; b. 20 May 1922; m. James William Kearns, son of Thomas Kearns, 3 Mar 1944 at Arlington Street Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio d. Feb. 7, 2001
• ii. Nancy Kathlene Ferguson; b. 9 Jun 1930 m. Leroy Addison Desmond d. Aug. 6, 2017

Sources

• Obituary: Centre Daily Times State College, Pennsylvania · Wednesday, March 01, 2000
• Find A Grave Memorial# 156112995
• Marriage: “Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871–1920.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Illinois Department of Public Health records. "Marriage Records, 1871–present." Division of Vital Records, Springfield, Illinois.