Ralph Melvin Ferguson

Mr. Ralph Melvin Ferguson, Ret. Mst. Sgt., 89 resident of Independence, Missouri and former Trenton, Missouri resident died at 9:30 PM., Friday, June 11, 2021 at his residence with a family member by his side.

Funeral services will be held Monday, June 21, 2021 at 1:30 PM at the Edinburg Baptist Church west of Trenton.  Burial will be in Pilot Grove #2 Cemetery north of Jamesport, Missouri. 

Family visitation will be held Monday from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at the church.

Open visitation will be held Sunday from 12 PM to 6 PM at Slater-Neal Funeral Home, Trenton.

Memorials to Edinburg Baptist Church and may be left with the funeral home.

Mr. Ferguson was born July 2, 1931 at Edinburg, Missouri the son of Robert T. and Neola Fern McWaid Ferguson.  He started school in Edinburg.  Then graduated from Trenton High School in the late 1940's. His parents moved to Trenton several years early and opened Ferguson Grocery store on 17th Street.

After graduating, he worked for the railroad in Chicago, Illinois and moved back and went to the Chillicothe Business College.  Then enlisted in the Army in the Signal Corp in 1952. 

On September 26, 1954, he married Frances "Wilberta" Royston at the Edinburg Baptist Church.  The Army took them and their two children to live in many interesting places.  Including Paris, France; Clark Air Force Base, Philippines;  Ankara, Turkey, and West Berlin, East Germany.  Including two tours of duty for Ralph in Vietnam. 

After retiring as a Master Sergeant, he went to work for the U.S. Postal Service in Kansas City, Missouri and both their children graduated from Trenton.  Ralph and Wilberta made their home in Independence, Missouri for over 47 years.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Wilberta, his parents, brother Elgin Ferguson, sister Lillian Scott, brother Bob Ferguson, sister Rachel Wolf and sister Leona Mae Kinnamon.

His survivors include his daughter Debbie Mooney and husband Sonny, Sabetha, Kansas, son Ralph D. Ferguson, Excelsior Springs, Missouri.  Two grandsons Nathan Vandevender and wife Kristen, Trenton and Paul Vandevender and wife Mandi, Trenton. Three great grandsons, Korbin Vandevender, Ian Vandevender, Dru Vandevender, One great granddaughter Zoe Vandevender, all of Trenton

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