At age 90, Audrey Ferguson celebrates her beautiful family and wonderful life

Audrey Ferguson of Kincardine celebrated her 90th birthday by remarking on her beautiful family and wonderful life.

Surrounded by family, friends and neighbours, as well as balloons, flowers and a lovely birthday cake, she was the belle of the ball, even enjoying a dance or two, Saturday afternoon at the Kincardine Legion Hall.

Born May 4, 1927, on the 6th Concession of Huron Township, Audrey is the daughter of John and Helen (Farrell) MacMurchy. She grew up working on the family farm.

"We did everything on the farm," she recalled. "Our two little brothers died in infancy, so my two sisters and I were mother's helpers in the house, and dad's helpers all around the farm.

"I had great parents. We always went to church and that was no easy task back then because you had to hitch up the horse and wagon and travel four miles to Ripley."

Audrey also had a brief hockey career, playing for the Ripley Reds which was the main team during the war years. "We used to fill that arena," she said.

She first met her future husband, Lester Ferguson, when she was 10 and he was 19. He lived on the 2nd Concession of Huron Township and was working with her uncle, Bill Jackson.

"I was driving the horses and I was up on the ladder so I wouldn't get covered with the sheaves," said  Audrey. "Les was throwing the sheaves on the wagon and he looked up and asked the hired man, Wilf Davies, who his girlfriend was today. Wilf told him who I was, and Les said I would make a good wife for someone someday."

Eight years later, in 1945, Lester returned from serving in the Second World War and discovered that Audrey had grown up.

"My father always told me to be nice to the boys who came back from the war," Audrey recalled. "So, I saw this handsome Lester Ferguson at a dance. We said hello, and we danced the night away."

They dated for three years. He worked in carpentry, supervising a work crew in Toronto, and she was teaching in Holyrood and later in Arva. The summer of 1947, she lived and worked in Toronto.

The following year, on July 17, 1948, they were married in St. Andrew's United Church, Ripley. They moved to Toronto and lived there for three months, returning to the MacMurchy homestead after her father retired, and taking over the dairy farm.

Audrey and Lester were one of the founding families of what is now Community Living of Kincardine and District. They attended Pine River United Church and always enjoyed dancing and doing community work.

Lester died in November, 2009, and Audrey now lives at the Cottrill Condominiums in Kincardine.

She has two daughters, Anne and her husband, Doug Eadie, of Kincardine; and Joan and her husband, Ken Eadie, of Kinloss Township; and one son, Allan, of Kincardine. She also has four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Her sister, Margaret Ferguson, lives at RVilla in Ripley.

Audrey said her life has been one long, wonderful journey, and her longevity can be based on coming from good stock - her father lived to be 98 and her mother lived to be 92.

"I also have a strong faith," she said. "My favourite verse in the Bible is Isaiah 40:31: 'But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint'."

Audrey still loves music and dancing, and walking with her ski poles around town. She also enjoys a good conversation.

A great crowd gathered at the Legion to wish her well on her birthday, while local musicians performed, and everyone enjoyed refreshments.