Joseph Wesley Ferguson

Joseph Wesley “Joe” Ferguson passed away peacefully on July 14 at his home in Grand Junction, Colorado, surrounded by his loving family. Joe was 87 years old. He was born in McAlpine, West Virginia, on October 5, 1931. He graduated from Richwood High School in 1949, and attended West Virginia Tech, where he completed four years of college.

On December 24, 1950, he married the love of his life, Wanda Marie “Sugar Babe” Butcher, in LaFrank, West Virginia. To their union was born a son, Wesley (Lorinda) Ferguson of Modesto, California; and daughters, Joeline (Randy) Zimmerman of Filmore, Utah, and Belinda (Dave) Hurst of Moab, Utah.

After Joe finished school he joined the United States Air Force, where he was stationed at March Air Force Base in California. Joe served as a surveyor and ended his career as a Staff Sergeant. After completing four years in the Air Force, Joe, his wife, and two small children, returned to West Virginia so he could enter the coal mine business with his father. Joe eventually left the coal mine business to pursue a career as a quality control office at a missile base in Kansas. He was later transferred to the missile base in Green River, Utah. Joe moved his family to Moab, Utah, where he resided for 10 years. Joe was a member of the Community Church, where he served as a trustee, a youth leader, and numerous other positions.

Joe and Wanda left Moab and moved to Sheridan, Wyoming, where Joe accepted a position as a Federal Mine Inspector, overseeing mines in Alaska, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. After Joe retired in 1995, he and Wanda moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, to be closer to family.

Joe was a jack-of-all-trades; he could build anything and fix anything as long as Wanda was there to supervise. He was an avid reader, loved to work puzzles, and loved anything to do with history.

Joe is preceded in death by his father, Harry; mother, Ellen, and brothers, James and Fred. He is survived by his two sisters, Lillian Taylor and Sheila Morris; brother, Carl; Wanda, his loving wife of 69 years; his three children; 8 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren on the way.

Joe will always be remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He had an amazing sense of humor, which was evident in the funny nicknames he gave everyone. He will be sorely missed by his family.

A graveside service will be held at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Grand Junction, CO on Monday, July 22, 2019 at 1:00 PM. There will also be a celebration of life on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, 11:00 AM at the Community Church in Moab, UT. Donations may be made to HopeWest Hospice, 3090B N. 12th Street, Grand Junction, CO 81506.