Jodie Montgomery Ferguson

Jodie Montgomery Ferguson passed away peacefully Wednesday evening, March 4, 2020 at First Community Village in Upper Arlington, OH from natural causes, surrounded by her family and friends. Born in Maryville, Missouri on September 15, 1924, Jodie attended Maryville High School and Northwest Missouri State Teachers College where she was a member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority, 1945 Class President  and Homecoming Queen. She was known in Maryville for her beautiful soprano voice, participating in recitals at the local college beginning in the eighth grade, and for her love of dancing - she was the local Jitterbug Queen.

Upon graduation, Jodie took a series of teaching positions in Denver, CO; Long Beach, CA and finally Clayton, MO. She met William Gerow Ferguson in St. Louis on a blind date. They married on September 4, 1948. Together they raised four children. Bill's job kept the family on the move, relocating to Kansas, Illinois, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and finally Columbus, OH where they lived since 1970. In each case, Jodie’s innate ability to connect with people brought wonderful, lasting friendships into their lives. Often these friends came from church, where Jodie always shared her lyric soprano through the choir, but also through her many volunteer activities and interests. Among others, Jodie was a member of PEO, The Little Garden Club, Garden Club of America, Franklin Park Conservatory Women’s Board, Twigg 3, and the Columbus Museum of Art Women’s Board.

Jodie loved to shower those she loved with her gifts. And those gifts were many. In addition to her life-long love of music, she was a talented cook, decorator, gardener, story-teller and entertainer. She and Bill created epic Sunday night dinners and threw legendary parties. They were not to be missed. She loved to travel, often visiting friends and family around the country, as well as frequent trips to Europe and the Caribbean. Jodie also loved movies and reading - biographies, history, poetry, children’s literature and fiction. She had a wonderful, passionate life and was loved by many. 

Preceded in death by her parents Sherman Alan Montgomery and Mary Sewell Montgomery, and her husband of nearly 70 years William Gerow Ferguson. Jodie is survived by her four children, Scott (Emiko) Ferguson of Santa Monica, CA, Jeanne (Thomas) Ferguson Fansler of Minneapolis, MN, Alan Ferguson of Columbus, OH and Robert (Jayme Brown) Ferguson of Columbus, OH; as well as five grandchildren, Alison (Andy) Mattila, Molly (Andrew) Wyman, Samuel Fansler, Caer (Sam McCracken) Ferguson and Niall Ferguson; two great-grandchildren, Grace and Harrison Mattila; sisters Dorothy Lee Dixon of Warrensburg, MO and Patty Morris of Jefferson City, MO and brother Robert Montgomery of Overland Park, KS; sister-in-law Patricia Ferguson; long-time friend Diane Neil; many adored nieces and nephews, extended family members and friends. 

The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff of First Community Village for their kind and dedicated service to Jodie over the last nine years, and National Church Residences Hospice for their loving attention over the past few months.

A memorial service will be held on October 2, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Albans Church in Bexley, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the First Community Village Foundation, 1800 Riverside Drive, Columbus, OH 43212 or to The Columbus Symphony, 55 E. State Street, Columbus, OH 43215.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jodie Montgomery Ferguson, please visit our floral store.