Charles McCormick Ferguson
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Charles McCormick Ferguson of Harrisburg, died in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston, on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010, aged 74. He was a member of a family that has lived in Saline County since 1820 and in Harrisburg since about 1860. Charles himself was born April 15, 1936, at Marshall Browning Hospital in Du Quoin, the son of Hazel (McCormick) Ferguson and Charles Dale Ferguson. He attended elementary school in Champaign while his father attended law school. After Dale's graduation in 1948, his family moved to East Moline, where Charles graduated from United Township High School in 1954, before enrolling at the University of Illinois. After graduation in 1959, he attended law school at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he graduated in 1961 with a Juris Doctor degree. After being admitted to the Bar in Illinois, he was employed by a law firm in downtown Chicago. In 1964 he joined his father in practice in Rock Island.
In 1969 Charles, his father and their families moved to Harrisburg, where he became employed as an associate of Arlie Boswell Sr. and Archie Bob Henderson. Henderson left shortly thereafter and Charles continued with attorney Boswell until approximately 1975 when they mutually decided to go their separate ways. Charles continued as a sole practitioner until his retirement in 2000. During his practice in Harrisburg, he primarily worked on estates, wills and trusts and did work for various local banks including Old National Bank, Egyptian State Bank in Carrier Mills, Production Credit Association and FHA. He was a past president of Kiwanis Club, Rotary and the Saline County Bar Association. He was also a member of the Harrisburg Elks and Saline County Country Club. He was a founding member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. During his retirement he enjoyed golf, foreign travel and reading as well as following his favorite teams, the Fighting Illini and the Chicago Cubs.
He was a loving father and beloved grandfather and is survived by two daughters, Melissa (Ferguson) Van Steen and Martha Ferguson; and two grandchildren, Phoenix Van Steen and Sophie Van Steen, all of the Houston area.
He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant son, and wife Linda Ferguson (Watson).
There will be a memorial Mass in his honor at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010. According to his wishes, his body has been cremated and burial will take place in Sunset Lawn Cemetery in Harrisburg. The J.M. Weirauch Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.