John L. Ferry

DANNEBROG – John L. Ferry, 92, of Dannebrog died Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008, at the Hamilton Manor in Aurora. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church in Dannebrog. Pastor Barry Arndt will officiate. Burial will be in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Dannebrog. Visitation will be Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Peters Funeral Home in St. Paul. Mr. Ferry was born on Sept. 20, 1915, at Havelock, the son of Thomas and Emma (Slocum) Ferry. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie A. “Dolly” Ferry of the Central City Community Care in Central City; four step-sons and two step-daughters-in-law, LaVern and Pat Case of Collins, Missouri, Larry and Vicki Brooks of St. Libory, Dean Combs of Arcadia and Darwin Combs of Central City; two step-daughters and one step-son-in-law, O’Detta “June” and Marvin Cords of Dannebrog and Rosetta Parker-Roy of Chapman. He is also survived by 23 step-grandchildren, 47 step-great-grandchildren and 18 step-great-great-grandchildren; one niece, Ginger Berkhouse of Phoenix, AZ and cousins, Bob and Nellie Slocum and Katherine and Floyd Albert, all of Colorado. John grew up and attended school in Diller. As a young man he worked at the Endicott Bakery and at the Civilian Conservation Camp in Denton from 1934 to 1936. He also worked for Union Pacific Railroad and later for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission living and working in various communities, such as, Victoria Springs Park, Bassett, Valentine Fish Hatchery, Benkelman and Atkinson. He was united in marriage to Marjorie A. “Dolly” King on Nov. 18, 1958, at California, Missouri. The couple first lived in Arcadia and John worked for Bushman Construction. They later moved to Grand Island where he worked in carpentry, house painting and janitorial work. They later moved to Dannebrog where they retired. John was quite the woodworker, having built many cedar chests, dollhouses, planters and replicas of houses, schools and churches. In March of 2005 the couple moved to the Hamilton Manor in Aurora where he lived the rest of his life. The couple would have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary later this year. John loved his family dearly and considered all of Dolly’s children and grandchildren as his own. He was baptized at the Central City Baptist Church in July 1980. He was honored in 2003 by the Denton Historical Society on the 70th Anniversary of the Denton Civilian Conservation Camp. He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Bernice Barrow; and one niece, Connie Burival. Memorials are suggested to the family’s choice.