Irma Fisher Ferguson, 104, died December 4, 2009 at the Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson, Iowa.  A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, December 11th at 10:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson.

Irma was born on May 13, 1905 in Grand Junction, Iowa, to Carl and Rachel Fisher.  She was the fifth of their eight children.  She married W. D. (Duane or “Spike” as he was fondly called) Ferguson in 1923.   Irma attended Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa, before her marriage to Spike, but chose to be a homemaker and mother after marriage.  She and Spike had three daughters, Ardis, Leola, and Carla.

Spike was co-owner of Ferguson Diehl Construction, a sand and gravel company.  Irma and the girls often spent summers with him at the work sites.  Irma cooked two meals a day for the truck drivers.  After retiring, Irma and Spike traveled to Norway and England to visit their “roots” and also made a trip to Alaska where Spike had helped build the Alcan Highway.  They spent winters in Mesa, Arizona, and had a second community of friends there.   Irma had suffered from polio as a girl.  It caused one leg to be shorter and one foot smaller so she walked with a limp, but it did not significantly limit her activities.

Irma celebrated her 100th birthday in grand style.  Her daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren came from across the country and had dinner and shared remembrances of her 100 years and their love of “Mom and Grandma.”  Each birthday, Mother’s Day, and holiday was celebrated with family.  It was what Irma loved.

Irma was preceded in death by her husband, Spike, her parents, her brother and six sisters, her daughters Ardis Ryerson Brown and Leola Black, two sons-in-law, Howard Ryerson and Bill Brown, and one great-great-grandchild.  She is survived by her daughter, Carla Greiner (William) of Ankeny, son-in-law T. K. Black of Phoenix, Arizona,  nine grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren.

Irma will be lovingly remembered by her family and friends.  Memorials may be directed to the First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson or Greene County Medical Center – Long Term East.