Christine Ferguson

Christine Jackson Ferguson passed away at age 86 from Alzheimer’s Disease. She passed from the arms of her daughters and grandson into the arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Born in Church Hill, Tennessee, she was the third of six girls born to Marvin and Bonnie Jackson. Her parents met at The Kingsport Press, where her father was a gilder. Perhaps that’s how Christine got her life-long love of books. She was a voracious reader! She always had a book with her, reading several at a time. On car trips, she read aloud to her family to pass the time. She always had a Reader’s Digest in her pocketbook. As a child, she would hide in a tree to read. When her own children started to school, at West Gantt Elementary, Christine and Charley converted a janitor’s closet into the school’s first library. After her grandchildren were born, she took them shopping every month to select a new book. She passed her passion for books and libraries to her daughter, Deryl, a Library Media Specialist.

Christine was a charter member of Church Hill Presbyterian Church where the Rev. Charles Ferguson was assigned for his first pastorate. They were married for 46 years until his death in 2002. They served Henry Belk Presbyterian Church in Anderson, SC for 6 years. Thirty-eight of their years together were spent at Dunean Presbyterian Church in Greenville where she taught children in Sunday School, Bible School, and Bible Study classes.

Valedictorian of her high school class, she attended Anderson College and graduated Cum Laude from Clemson University in 1968. She earned a Master’s Degree and a Masters Plus Thirty from Furman University. Christine taught first and second grades at Augusta Circle Elementary School for 28 years. She wrote and received several grants to help her students and she was elected Teacher of the Year.

After retiring in 1995, she did volunteer work at her grandchildren’s schools, Fork Shoals and Greenview Elementary Schools. She loved working in the library with her daughter. Christine also did volunteer work in the office at United Ministries. She searched thrift stores for Bibles to ship to missionaries. She knitted hundreds of children’s sweaters for overseas missions.

Christine loved traveling with her family. They made several road trips to California and trips from the Florida Keys to Bar Harbor Maine. They toured 49 states and several Canadian Provinces. And she read aloud to them all the way!

Her daughters, Deryl McKinney of Greenville and Bonnie Tone (Greg) of Belton became her caregivers for the past 4 years. She adored her grandchildren, Daniel McKinney of Greenville and Megan Campbell (Ryan) of Columbia. She enjoyed watching video of her great grandchild, baby Charlie Campbell.

She was predeceased by her sister, Peggy Jackson. Surviving sisters are Marceleen Mallicote and Barbara Crawford (Willard) of Tennessee, Patsy Hoop of Maryland, and Carolyn Gruber of Florida.

Because of her love of children, Christine requested that memorials be made to Thornwell Home for Children, 302 South Broad Street, Clinton, SC 29325.

The family invites you to join them in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, October 5. Walk or donate to their team, Ferguson Friends and Family, at  http://act.alz.org/goto/Deryl

Visitation will be held Friday, September 13, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown. Burial Service will be private.