More Information:

About the Joseph William Ferguson Family:

Date and location from Harrison Co. Marriages microfilm.

Picture of Joseph W. Ferguson Family

About Joseph William Ferguson:

Joe and family came to Shreveport, Louisiana from East Texas around 1897. He was a fireman for Kansas City Southern Railroad for many years in Shreveport.
...................................................................

Found in the 1900 Census, La., Caddo Parish, Shreveport, ED 47, sh. 27, img. 53. His occupation was listed as "engine hostler". I learned that a hostler's job was to go into the yard and get an engine which had been left running by the engineer and move it into the roundhouse.
Joseph Ferguson 42
Laura L Ferguson 32
Homer L Ferguson 11
William L Ferguson 8
Raymond L Ferguson 1
Richard A Melton 21 (brother-in-law)
....................................................................

Joe Ferguson and family were found in the 1910 Census, Louisiana, Caddo Parish, Shreveport, District 52, Ward 9, Sheet 11B.

Joe W. Ferguson Head 53 Mo. Mo. Mo.
Laura Ferguson Wife 43 Tex. Ala. Miss.
Leonard Ferguson Son 18 Tex. Mo. Tex.
Raymond Ferguson Son 10 La. Mo. Tex.
Joe Allen Ferguson Son 7 La. Mo. Tex.
Verda Ferguson Dau. 4 La. Mo. Tex.
Eveline Melton M. I. L. 68 Miss. Miss. Miss.

Laura's mother Eveline Melton was also part of the household.
....................................................................

Found in 1930 Census, LA, Caddo Parish, Shreveport, ED 36; Address: 1958 Walnut St.
Joseph W Ferguson 73; hostler, steam railroad
Laura L Ferguson 62
Joe A Ferguson 26; electrician, steam railroad
Ray W Wyatt 25; Son-in-law; electrician, ice co.
Verda E Wyatt 23; dau.
......................................................................

Found in 1940 Census, LA, Caddo Parish, Shreveport, ED 9-33A; Address: 1958 Walnut St., Sh. 11B.
Household Members:
Joseph Ferguson 83 MO
Laura Ferguson 70 TX
J H Ferguson 36 (should be J A) Son; LA; baker, bakery
Ray Wyatt 36 Son-in-law; TX; deliveryman, ice company
Verda Wyatt 33 Dau.; LA
Joan Wyatt 9 Granddaughter; LA
Don Wyatt 2 Grandson; LA
......................................................................

Obituary for Joseph William Ferguson:

Sunday March 29, 1942, page 15, Shreveport Times

Joseph W. Ferguson

"Joseph W. Ferguson, 85, of 1958 Walnut Street, died Friday afternoon at a
local sanitarium. A retired K.C.S. fireman, Mr. Ferguson has been a resident
of Shreveport for 45 years.
Funeral services will be held at 4:30 p.m. today at Osborn Funeral Chapel.
Officiating will be the Rev. T.C. Pennell, pastor of the Ingleside Baptist
Church, and the Rev. B.F. Wallace, pastor of the Lake Shore Baptist Church.
Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery.
Survivors are his wife; three sons, J.A. Ferguson, Shreveport, L.W.
Ferguson, Port Arthur, Texas, and R.L. Ferguson, Dallas, Texas; one
daughter, Mrs. W.R. Wyatt, Shreveport; two sisters, Mrs. R.L. Morgan,
Leesville, and Mrs. L.C. Mahaney, Fort Worth; three grandsons, five
granddaughters and three great-grandchildren.
A member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers for 40
years, Mr. Ferguson is a past president and financial secretary of the
local organization."
......................................................................

About Laura Lillian Murrell:

Obituary of Laura Murrell Ferguson:

Shreveport Times, Feb. 12, 1965

"Mrs. Ferguson Succumbs at 98

Funeral services for Mrs. Laura Murrell Ferguson, 98, 1958 Walnut St., who died Thursday at 12:15 p.m. at the Campbell Nursing Home after a lengthy illness, will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Wellman’s Funeral Home.

The Rev. W. T. Furr, pastor of the Queensborough Baptist Church, will officiate, and burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery.

Mrs. Ferguson was a native of Hallsville, Tex., but had lived in Shreveport for 64 years. She was a member of the Queensborough Baptist Church and Cedar Grove Order of the Eastern Star No. 135.

Survivors include one son, J. A. Ferguson of Shreveport; one daughter, Mrs. W. R. Wyatt, also of Shreveport; eight grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will include L. W. Ferguson Jr., Homer Ferguson, R. C. Hardy, James Eley, Don Wyatt and B. J. Babin."
...........................................................................

About Homer L. Ferguson:

This record found in the 1910 Census probably refers to Homer Ferguson, son of Joe W. Ferguson, unproven:
LA, Winn Co., Winnfield town, ED 123, Sh. 9B.
Ferguson, Homer; 23; Boarder; Single; Occ.: Machinist, Railroad.
.....................................................................................

Homer was killed in an automobile accident in Shreveport, at the age of 24. His gravestone says "Husband and Son" so he was married, but his wife's name is unknown.
.....................................................................................