She was born July 28, 1934 in Matthews, Indiana, the daughter of Floyd and Ethlyn (Carter) Gadbury. She had a younger sister Edie, who died in 1986. Charlotte graduated from Jefferson Township High School in Upland, Indiana in 1952 and married Edgar Fergus in December that year. They moved to Hartford City, Indiana where Ed owned and operated, along with his brother Warren, the Blackford Canning Company, a processor of Indiana- and Ohio-grown tomatoes. Charlotte worked in the business also and managed both the office, where she had responsibility for hiring, payroll, and accounting, and the laboratory, managing the reporting to state food inspectors. Together they operated the business until it was sold in 1982.
After the sale of the business, Charlotte and Ed moved to Ft. Myers Beach, Florida and made that community their home for the rest of their lives. Charlotte became involved with the Chapel by the Sea, a Presbyterian church, serving on several committees over the years and playing in the bell choir for more than 35 years. Both the church, and specifically the bell choir, were passions. She also served more than 15 years as treasurer of the Surf Song condominium, where they lived in Ft. Myers Beach.
She is survived by four children, Kathy (Florence, Kentucky), Jeff and wife Jo Ousterhout (Lisbon, Portugal), Linda Tatman (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Lori Fowlkes (Jacksonville, Florida), grandchildren Amanda Auger (Jacksonville), and Tyler Tatman and partner Mel Lachowicz (Indianapolis) and great-granddaughters, Sawyer Tatman, Charlie Hiner and Winnie Tatman. She is also survived by niece Lynne Perfetti (Indianapolis) and nephew Jim and wife Becky Fergus (Atlanta, Georgia). Her husband Ed died in 2016.
No donations are necessary, but any gift in Charlotte’s name may be made to Chapel of Cypress Cove Music Fund (10200 Cypress Cove Drive, Ft. Myers FL 33908) or Avow Hospice (1095 Whippoorwill Lane, Naples FL 34105).
A memorial service will be held in Edison Hall at Cypress Cove Senior Living, 10200 Cypress Cove Drive, Ft. Myers, FL at 10am on Friday August 14.
