Miriam Louise Ferguson, 81, Savoy, Ill., passed away at 9:14 a.m. Oct. 23, 2016 at Carle Hospital, Urbana, Ill.

Miriam was born Sept. 22, 1935 in North Manchester to Howard S. and Nevea M. (Hiner) Neher.

On April 20, 1957 Miriam married Gordon Ferguson of Fort Wayne. Gordon passed away Sept. 30, 2011.

Gordon and Miriam moved to Naperville, Ill. in 1974, and it wasn’t until recently that she moved to Savoy, Ill. She spent her life as a homemaker for her husband and children. Miriam was a member of the Judd Kendall VFW Women’s Auxiliary, Homemakers Association of DuPage County and the Community United Methodist Church, Naperville, Ill.

Miriam is survived by three sons: Terry Gordon Ferguson, Kankakee, Ill.; Philip Lee (Robin) Ferguson, Champaign, Ill.; and Eric Floyd (Gillian) Ferguson, Harrogate, England; one daughter, Kris (Guy) Fisher, Syracuse; one brother, Max (Nancy) Neher, Madison; two sisters: Jane (Mike) Frieden, North Manchester; and Delores (the late Cecil) Votra, Bolivar, Mo.; one sister-in-law, Barbara (the late Charles) Ferguson, Mo.; six grandchildren: Andrew Ferguson, Heather Ferguson, Aaron Ferguson, Nathan Ferguson, Paul Fisher, and Kyle Fisher; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Miriam is preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Nevea Neher; husband Gordon Ferguson; and one brother-in-law, Charles Ferguson.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Nov. 5 at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, North Manchester. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Nov. 6. at the Community United Methodist Church, 20 Center Street, Naperville, Ill. Pastor Mark Eastway will officiate the graveside service, and Pastor Grace Imathiu will officiate at the Community United Methodist Church in Naperville, Ill.

For those who wish to honor the memory of Miriam Louise Ferguson, memorial contributions may be made to The Gordon L. and Miriam Ferguson Scholarship Fund at Indiana Institute of Technology, 1600 East Washington Boulevard, Fort Wayne, IN 46803.