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Note: , Sept 26, 2013
Dale E. Ferguson
«/b»Abilene
Dale E. Ferguson, 92, of Abilene, passed away Tuesday, September 24, 2013. A Memorial Service will be held Friday at 10:00 a.m. at North's Funeral Home, 242 Orange Street. Burial will follow at 11:00 a.m. at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery.
Dale was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Dale and Georgianna Ferguson. He married Jeanne Gumpper on December 24, 1943 in Alva, Oklahoma. He served in the Army Air Corp during World War II from June, 1942-November 1945. He was awarded the American Theatre Service Medal and Victory Medal. He was a TE Training Pilot and Officer Command and Training Instructor. He taught Military Law and was instrumental in proving the distance required for bombers to take off from an aircraft carrier.
He moved to Abilene in 1978 from Fort Worth. He was President of Minters Department Store, which operated stores on Pine Street, at River Oaks Shopping Center and Westgate Mall. He retired in 1986. In 1987, Dale was elected Mayor of Abilene and served until 1990. He was a member of the Rotary Club for over fifty years, a member of the American Legion and was active with Dyess Air Force Base through the Abilene Chamber of Commerce.
Dale was preceded in death by this parents and one sister, Elaine Waldschmidt.
He is survived by his wife, Jeanne; three sons: Michael Ferguson, Kevin Ferguson, and Brian Ferguson; on daughter, Maureen Crouch; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Online condolences can be made at www.northsfuneral-home.com.
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Former Mayor article - Abilene Reporter News - Thursday, Sept 26, 2013
Big Country & Texas
«b»Former Abilene mayor remembered
«i»Ferguson led city after oil boom went bust«/i»«sup»
«/b»By Scott Kirk
Special to the Reporter-News
Tom Ceniglis used the words "aggressive" and "sensitive" in the same sentence to describe Dale Ferguson, the mayor of Abilene from 1987-90.
"What I mean is there were things he wanted for Abilene, and he went after them," said Ceniglis, who served on the City Council with Ferguson. "But he didn't want to hurt anyone."
Ferguson, 92, died Tuesday. A memorial servidce will be held Friday and 10 a.m. at North's Funeral Home, 242 Orange Stl, followed by burial at Texas State Veterans Cemetery.
"He was a good man," Ceniglis said. "I would have gone to war with him."
Ferguson was mayor during a time when the economy in Abilene suffered following the bust of the oil industry. Ferguson drew a hard line on spending, often at odds with other members on the council.
"That's not unusual," said Gary McCaleb, who served with Ferguson on the council and defeated him for the mayor's office in 1990. "When you have seven people on the council, each person is going to have a different idea on shere the money should go. Some people are going to think it should go to x while somebody else thinks it should go to y. You're just one of seven people. It's not like you're made king of Abilene.:
While they may have disagreed on some issues, McCaleb said he knew Fergson always had Abilene's best interests at heart. "I never thought he was not trying to do what was best for Abilene," he said.
Ceniglis, who often sided with Ferguson on budget matters, indicated that Ferguson would have been a different type of mayor had the economy been stronger.
"There were things I would have been for 100 percent if the oil business had been booming like it is now," he said. "We just didn't need them." However, Ceniglis pointed out that Abilene passed the half-cent sales tax for economic development in 1989 while Ferguson was mayor, making Abilene the first city in Texas to do so. Abilene also was named an All-American City during his last year in office.
Ceniglis also remembered Ferguson as a mayor who expected council members to come to meetings prepared. "He'd give you the agenda and tell you to read it carefully," he said. "Don't come in half-loaded, but be ready to do what you wanted to get done. He challenged me all the time." McCaleb said Ferguson's background as a retailer served him well in keeping a tight rein on city finances. "I think he seriously wanted the best possible use of the dollars the city spent," he said. "He was very conservative."
Ferguson was a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., who moved to Abilene in 1978 to become president of Minters Department Store, which had three locations at the time. He retired in 1986.
He is survived by his wife, Jeanne; sons Michael, Kevin and Brian; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. «/sup»
Note: (Research):«b»Obituary - Abilene Reporter News - Thursday
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