Wendell Arthur Ferguson

Wendell Arthur Ferguson, age 84, went to his eternal home on August 2, 2022 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was surrounded by his loving family, wife, Mary Beth, sons, Scott (Jessica) and Derrick (Karna), godson, Thai (Breanna) Doan together with his beloved sister, Mary Jane Melcher and cherished grandsons, Nolan, Callum, Alexander, and Jace Doan. Wendell is also survived by his niece, Michele (Vernon) and great nephew, Devon (Kris). Wendell was preceded in death by his parents, Lucille and Arthur.

Wendell was born in Mitchell, SD and grew up in Woonsocket, SD. He spent his summers working at his father and uncle’s Ford dealership, igniting a lifelong love for cars and car maintenance. He earned his mechanical engineering degree in 1960 from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology while also serving in the Army National Guard of South Dakota.

His early career included tool design for the Boeing 727 in Seattle and manufacturing planning in New Orleans for Boeing’s Saturn 5 rocket that made the moon landing possible in 1968. In 1966, he moved to Sydney, Australia where he worked as a manufacturing engineer for the British Motor Company. In 1968 he began traveling the world, starting in Southeast Asia and continuing through the Middle East and into Europe. Wendell returned to the United States in 1970 to begin a career in petroleum sales and manufacturing sales engineering.

Wendell met Mary Elizabeth Rieck on a ski hill in 1971. They were married the following year in Cedar Falls, Iowa. They were married for nearly 50 years.

Wendell was a dedicated and loving husband and father. As a family they took frequent trips to South Dakota to visit his parents and sister’s family and his wife’s family in Iowa. He loved fatherhood, being a grandfather and all family get-togethers.

Wendell enjoyed everything automotive and was an excellent athlete. He was an expert basketball player, downhill and water skier, and enjoyed golf, tennis and pickle-ball. Later he became a dedicated walker which helped him combat the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

Wendell made many long lasting friendships and appreciated good times with other couples attending theaters and concerts. Together with other families, they canoed wild rivers, camped in the Boundary Waters, took skiing and road trips and spent summers at the family cabin. He served on Shepherd of the Hills Church Council and church committees including the Fix-It Team. He enjoyed Bible studies and retreats. He had a close-knit group of prayer buddies that met for decades. He also had regular poker games with a great group of guys for years.

Wendell’s understated, observant humor was appreciated by many. Wendell was brave, positive and persistent in dealing with Parkinson's disease in his last 10 years. He lived at home with Mary Beth until the end of May 2022. His sense of humor, optimism and sweet spirit continued in his last weeks even after the effects of Covid-19 acquired in the care center overtook him.

The family would like to thank the many friends who have so generously come forward with caring and compassion in a wide variety of ways.

In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Shoreview, MN, at https://www.shepherdshoreview.org/giving.html or Parkinson’s Foundation at https://www.parkinson.org/

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, Sept 24, 2022 at 12pm with a visitation at 11am at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 3920 North Victoria Street, Shoreview, MN, 55126. Lunch and fellowship to follow in the Fellowship Hall.