Fergus(s)on DNA Project

Ancestors of Venita Ferguson Jones

DNA Donor: Orren Ferguson

Robert Edward Ferguson 1911-1971

Parents: Joseph Ferguson and Susan Margaret McNamara
Born: one of the bouroughs in New York City, supposedly March 29, 1911

Raised in the Catholic church, had a sister, Lenore, who died in infancy. Spent summers in upstate New York, near the St. Lawrence River. Parents both died in auto accident and Robert inherited substantial funds. He left NY and traveled west. At some point he changed his age in order to get work. Married Marian Houghteling in Montana, had two children: a son who died at 2 and a daughter who died at 41, both from cancer. Divorced Marian, moved to Portland, Oregon, married Eleanor Wintermute, had seven children. Robert died 21 Feb 1971 in Clackamas, OR. First wife destroyed all personal papers, and when Robert died, he left minor children. Social Security did a search of three of the five bouroughs to see if they could locate his records. They could not, so used his age as given on oldest child's birth certificate. SS suggested that perhaps my father had been using an alias all his adult life. Robert was always reluctant to talk of his family and when questioned, would only say he was of scotch-irish ancestry. At one point he mentioned having a cousin in Montana, but no details were given.

An interesting side note....someone once told my older sister they had seen a wanted poster in Chicago with his picture on it and that he was somehow connected with Al Capone. Dad was always camera shy, but that could did not necessarily mean he had something to hide. I am attaching the one formal photo we have of him.

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