Mary Yates Ferguson Obituary (1938 - 2020)

Born Oct 16, 1938, Mary Yates Ferguson attended William Byrd High School in Vinton, VA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Mary Yates Ferguson.

Graduation Year	Class of 1957
Date of Birth	Oct 16, 1938
Date of Passing	Dec 19, 2020
About	Mary Yates Ferguson, was born October 16, 1938, she passed away peacefully December 19, 2020. She is survived by her spouse W. Brooks Ferguson, her children and daughter in law, Lisa A. Ferguson, Mitzi Ferguson Keeley, Mike (Margaret ) Ferguson, her grandchildren and spouse Lauren Price (Jacob) Watson, Courtney Keeley, Megan Keeley, Christopher Keeley, Natalie Ferguson, and Billy Ferguson, her sister and spouse Rebecca Y. (Stover) Carter and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Gladys and Herman Yates, step-father Elmo Thurman, and aunt Opal (Grady) Graham. Mom was an American Beauty, and Grandma Gladys said she was her ‘38 Special. She made the best green beans, cornbread, squash, jellied meatballs, and Opal’s spiced shrimp. She was the premiere home room mother. Her involvement went beyond bringing cupcakes to the Halloween, Christmas, and St. Patrick’s Day parties. Her success at pulling off the annual Mount Pleasant carnivals and Little Miss Mount Pleasant pageants earned her lifetime membership in the PTA. In her working life she started as a server at K&W and a secretary at Shenandoah Life. She also had varied entrepreneurial interests. She was an Avon lady and a Home Interiors hostess. She made and sold plaster of Paris wall decorations. She hand-crafted magnetic refrigerator ornaments and sold them at sidewalk fairs at Lake Drive and Roanoke Salem Plaza. Her true calling was dealing in antiques. In her own words, she would “flim flam” her way into people’s homes to buy, sell, and trade valuables. She was such a fixture at yard sales, auctions, and Happy’s Flea Market that she had to go in disguise. She made early morning rounds to be the first to get all the bargains. She claimed to own something from every house in Roanoke. In her down time she was a daily viewer of the Young and Restless and As the World Turns. Her favorite tv characters were Mrs. a-Wiggins and Eunice on the Carol Burnett Show. Although Garden City was the farthest she ever lived from her birth home in Bally Hack, she speculated, accumulated, and travelled beyond Dundee and Riverdale. To relax she enjoyed trips to the beaches of North and South Carolina. She also enjoyed visiting her aunt in Arlington and shopping at Tyson’s Corners. The trips she enjoyed most involved flying Piedmont or USAir to Las Vegas. She limited her gambling to the slots, and often talked of the day she would win $1 million from Big Bertha. These last few years, mom has had good physical health, while Alzheimer’s has been cruelly and relentlessly stealing her being. The biggest lessons to take from mom are to enjoy life, give hugs, scratch backs, and tell everybody they are beautiful. Due to pandemic restrictions a small family service was held December 20, 2020. Memorial donations may be given to the Rescue Mission or Goodwill.