Anne Ferguson

Parents: Dr. Charles Shontze and Mary Kathleen DeHaven

Father was a Podiatrist.

Mother was a Real Estate Broker and owned her own business. Her nickname was Kathie.

Siblings: Linda Mancherian - Irvine, CA

Alan Shontze - Grand Junction, CO

Paul Michael Shontze - Portland, ME

1st Husband: Ed Panther (Father of Greg & Matt) 1960 - 1975

2nd Husband: Don Ferguson, married in 1976

Children: Gregory E. Panther (wife Lisa) - Lake Wales, FL - Step-daughter, Jeanie Horne.

Matthew C. Panther (wife Kim) - Tampa, FL - Granddaughter - Kelly.

The early years:

She grew up in Paris Illinois and attended 8 years of schooling at St. Mary's Little Red Schoolhouse. She went to Church every day and sang in the choir. Her sister was the organist, way better than her, she sang.

She attended 2 years of high school in Springfield, Illinois (the State Capital) at Sacred Heart Academy. She lived in Sienna Hall (a brand new dorm), lived with the Nuns. It was a great education and an all-girls school. Earned a Silver Cross in Dramatics and gave many readings on stage.

The last two years of high school were at Paris High School, really great years for her, not so much academically but more memories were made with proms, many different friends, attending basketball games and football games. She joined many clubs and was president of the sorority, was runner up for prom queen and prepared for college. She also was "on the air" at a local radio station.

She decided to attend Indiana State (in Terre Haute) but in August contracted the "Hong Kong" flu and laid in bed reading college catalogs while recovering. At the last minute because she decided to enroll at Illinois State University (Bloomington, IL). The city's claim to fame was the Eureka vacuum cleaner and home of State Farm Insurance.

Due to the late acceptance, she lived off campus because the dorms were full, close to the Illinois Wesleyan campus. She knew a lot of the students and attended parties. Finally moved closer to the Illinois State campus. On Memorial Day she ended up in the Paris Hospital with an emergency appendectomy. Her boyfriend, Ed (and future husband), visited her on his way to the Indianapolis 500!

Since she hadn't taken her semester finals, she decided to attend Summer sessions. She ended up graduating in 3 years because she attended the Summer sessions each year.

She did her student teaching in Mount Prospect and lived in Arlington Heights near Chicago. Her dad bought her a car so that she could drive home and to the University. Near graduation, (Ed was also graduating) , they interviewed for jobs teaching in San Bernardino, CA and ended up accepting them, she quickly changed her wedding plans from August to May. Ed Panther and her were married on May 28, 1960 in Bloomington, IL. They moved to California and enjoyed the road trip out west.

She taught at Hillside Elementary and could see Big Bear Mountain out the windows in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. Ed worked at the juvenile center and rode his bike to work.

Ed decided that he needed to get his Master's Degree and they headed back to Illinois State where she taught in the lab school and he got his degree. They were sick of the cold weather. Ed's parents had moved to St. Petersburg, FL from El Paso, IL. Granddad had a Shell Station on Pasadena Blvd. across from Ted Peters restaurant. They lived in Yacht Club Estates on Treasure Island. Ed and her moved to Miami where she taught at Natural Bridge Elementary and Ed taught social studies at Hialeah High School. It was 1962 — Cuban crisis was only 90 miles away. They went to school every morning with army convoys passing by, going to Opa Locka base. They drove down to Key West and took pictures of the big guns aimed at Cuba. The military stopped everyone from taking pictures the next day.

Ed decided that he needed to get his Doctorate and was accepted to University of Florida, however, they thought that a Doctorate would be more valuable from Michigan State University - East Lansing. They moved again to Michigan and lived in married housing. She taught in their lab school. President Kennedy had been assassinated and it was a terrible time. They lived there about 3 years and Greg was born at Edward Sparrow Hospital. They loved having a Panther born at a Sparrow Hospital! They spent that summer in Stocton, CA where Ed interned at the mental hospital. They had a great trip through the California Rocky Mountains.

They moved to Amherst, NY to a brand new 4 plex and lived on the 2nd floor for a year. Ed was a professor at the State University of NY at Buffalo. Greg wanted to be outside more often, so they bought a very nice home in North Tonawanda in Green Acres off of Niagara Falls Blvd. Greg loved it. He could ride his tricycle and walk the miniature poodle — La Fayette. A few years later Matt was born. Matt decided that on the first trip to the hospital he wasn't ready and finally, she had to make an appointment to induce labor. Grandma came to take of Greg, Matt, Ed and her. Ed had an interview with University of South Florida and accepted. They sold their home to the Buffalo Times lady who took the ad to place in the paper. They bought a new red Volvo and moved. Matt was only 4 months old.

They stayed with Grandma and Granddad Panther while they looked for home in Temple Terrace. There were not any available, the University was hiring so many that they ended up with a half built home on Nantucket Dr. in Colonial Grove. You could see the golf course, really a nice location. While the house was being finished, they lived about two months on Madeira Beach in a two bedroom beach house, across from the Bamboo Beer Garden. Matt was a newborn and they were living in sand... she really don't know how she did it, diapers and laundromats!

They moved into their new home and had wonderful years. The Boys did well in nursery school and Temple Terrace Elementary — wonderful memories.

During the 70's she was a stay-at-home mother, then counselor at Zephyrhills Elementary with no course work. Need to get her Master's Degree - they hired her because she had been an elementary school teacher for 5 years. Went to USF and obtained her Master's Degree in 1976. Married Don Ferguson and began counseling in Hillsborough County Schools. In 1980 she decided to change careers and go into real estate. The boys need more transportation, so she needed a career that would let her have a more flexible schedule. She has been in Real Estate for 43 years! Always loved it.

In her words:

"Looking back at all the absolutely wonderful years at Nantucket Drive (In T.T.) — Boys turned out so well — Thank God every day for such a wonderful family and life. Now the boys can carry on the story — they remember more than I do. Sure enjoyed those years....."