Katherine "Kaye" Vera Duggan Ferguson, 103, passed away at home July 11, 2017. Kaye was born Jan. 29, 1914, in New York City, the oldest of three daughters born to Peter Duggan and Ann O'Conner, first generation Irish immigrants. The Duggans hosted Irish dancing in their home on Saturday nights, and Kaye developed a love for dance that continued throughout her life.
During the Great Depression, she dropped out of high school to help support her family, but took classes by night. She was admitted to cadet nurses training at Bellevue Hospital in 1944. After graduating, Kaye took a job as a ship nurse in 1949, transporting displaced people from Europe to the United States after World War II.
After a stint as a research nurse at New York University, Kaye worked at the American Hospital in Berlin, Germany, from 1951-52. Her job was to do physical exams on German brides of servicemen prior to going to the U.S. She then moved to Paris, where she worked at the American Hospital from 1952-54. She lived in the Montparnasse District and studied ballet in her free time.
Upon returning to the States, she enrolled at the University of Colorado, and earned her master's degree in public health.
She was posted to Seward in 1958 as a public health nurse. There, she met Jack Ferguson, who was a young widower with three young daughters. They fell in love and married Aug. 15, 1959. They raised their family in Fairbanks, where Kaye continued to work in nursing. After retirement, Kaye became a volunteer for AARP and traveled to many rural villages promoting health education. Her zest for life included a love for the arts and travel.
She is survived by her husband; her three daughters, April Ferguson, Heather Miller and Nancy Guttenberg; her grandchildren, Asha Kendall, Jack Hansen, Nicholas Guttenberg and Ruth Miller; and her great grandchildren, Shoshone Kendall, Lauren, Adele and William Hansen.
A service will be held from 1:30-4:30pm today at Evergreen Memorial Chapel in Anchorage. A Catholic service will be held at 1pm Saturday, Aug. 12, at Immaculate Conception Church in Fairbanks. Burial of Kaye's ashes at Northern Lights Cemetery will follow. Arrangements are with Janssen's Evergreen Memorial Chapel. Published in Daily News-Miner on Aug. 6, 2017.
During the Great Depression, she dropped out of high school to help support her family, but took classes by night. She was admitted to cadet nurses training at Bellevue Hospital in 1944. After graduating, Kaye took a job as a ship nurse in 1949, transporting displaced people from Europe to the United States after World War II.
After a stint as a research nurse at New York University, Kaye worked at the American Hospital in Berlin, Germany, from 1951-52. Her job was to do physical exams on German brides of servicemen prior to going to the U.S. She then moved to Paris, where she worked at the American Hospital from 1952-54. She lived in the Montparnasse District and studied ballet in her free time.
Upon returning to the States, she enrolled at the University of Colorado, and earned her master's degree in public health.
She was posted to Seward in 1958 as a public health nurse. There, she met Jack Ferguson, who was a young widower with three young daughters. They fell in love and married Aug. 15, 1959. They raised their family in Fairbanks, where Kaye continued to work in nursing. After retirement, Kaye became a volunteer for AARP and traveled to many rural villages promoting health education. Her zest for life included a love for the arts and travel.
She is survived by her husband; her three daughters, April Ferguson, Heather Miller and Nancy Guttenberg; her grandchildren, Asha Kendall, Jack Hansen, Nicholas Guttenberg and Ruth Miller; and her great grandchildren, Shoshone Kendall, Lauren, Adele and William Hansen.
A service will be held from 1:30-4:30pm today at Evergreen Memorial Chapel in Anchorage. A Catholic service will be held at 1pm Saturday, Aug. 12, at Immaculate Conception Church in Fairbanks. Burial of Kaye's ashes at Northern Lights Cemetery will follow. Arrangements are with Janssen's Evergreen Memorial Chapel. Published in Daily News-Miner on Aug. 6, 2017.
Katherine "Kaye" Vera Duggan Ferguson, 103, passed away at home July 11, 2017. Kaye was born Jan. 29, 1914, in New York City, the oldest of three daughters born to Peter Duggan and Ann O'Conner, first generation Irish immigrants. The Duggans hosted Irish dancing in their home on Saturday nights, and Kaye developed a love for dance that continued throughout her life.
During the Great Depression, she dropped out of high school to help support her family, but took classes by night. She was admitted to cadet nurses training at Bellevue Hospital in 1944. After graduating, Kaye took a job as a ship nurse in 1949, transporting displaced people from Europe to the United States after World War II.
After a stint as a research nurse at New York University, Kaye worked at the American Hospital in Berlin, Germany, from 1951-52. Her job was to do physical exams on German brides of servicemen prior to going to the U.S. She then moved to Paris, where she worked at the American Hospital from 1952-54. She lived in the Montparnasse District and studied ballet in her free time.
Upon returning to the States, she enrolled at the University of Colorado, and earned her master's degree in public health.
She was posted to Seward in 1958 as a public health nurse. There, she met Jack Ferguson, who was a young widower with three young daughters. They fell in love and married Aug. 15, 1959. They raised their family in Fairbanks, where Kaye continued to work in nursing. After retirement, Kaye became a volunteer for AARP and traveled to many rural villages promoting health education. Her zest for life included a love for the arts and travel.
She is survived by her husband; her three daughters, April Ferguson, Heather Miller and Nancy Guttenberg; her grandchildren, Asha Kendall, Jack Hansen, Nicholas Guttenberg and Ruth Miller; and her great grandchildren, Shoshone Kendall, Lauren, Adele and William Hansen.
A service will be held from 1:30-4:30pm today at Evergreen Memorial Chapel in Anchorage. A Catholic service will be held at 1pm Saturday, Aug. 12, at Immaculate Conception Church in Fairbanks. Burial of Kaye's ashes at Northern Lights Cemetery will follow. Arrangements are with Janssen's Evergreen Memorial Chapel. Published in Daily News-Miner on Aug. 6, 2017.
During the Great Depression, she dropped out of high school to help support her family, but took classes by night. She was admitted to cadet nurses training at Bellevue Hospital in 1944. After graduating, Kaye took a job as a ship nurse in 1949, transporting displaced people from Europe to the United States after World War II.
After a stint as a research nurse at New York University, Kaye worked at the American Hospital in Berlin, Germany, from 1951-52. Her job was to do physical exams on German brides of servicemen prior to going to the U.S. She then moved to Paris, where she worked at the American Hospital from 1952-54. She lived in the Montparnasse District and studied ballet in her free time.
Upon returning to the States, she enrolled at the University of Colorado, and earned her master's degree in public health.
She was posted to Seward in 1958 as a public health nurse. There, she met Jack Ferguson, who was a young widower with three young daughters. They fell in love and married Aug. 15, 1959. They raised their family in Fairbanks, where Kaye continued to work in nursing. After retirement, Kaye became a volunteer for AARP and traveled to many rural villages promoting health education. Her zest for life included a love for the arts and travel.
She is survived by her husband; her three daughters, April Ferguson, Heather Miller and Nancy Guttenberg; her grandchildren, Asha Kendall, Jack Hansen, Nicholas Guttenberg and Ruth Miller; and her great grandchildren, Shoshone Kendall, Lauren, Adele and William Hansen.
A service will be held from 1:30-4:30pm today at Evergreen Memorial Chapel in Anchorage. A Catholic service will be held at 1pm Saturday, Aug. 12, at Immaculate Conception Church in Fairbanks. Burial of Kaye's ashes at Northern Lights Cemetery will follow. Arrangements are with Janssen's Evergreen Memorial Chapel. Published in Daily News-Miner on Aug. 6, 2017.
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