85R8887 JGH-D
By: Larson H.R. No. 731
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the
death of Henry Rugeley Ferguson of San Antonio on January 2, 2017,
at the age of 86; and
WHEREAS, Rugeley Ferguson was born in Houston on April 11,
1930, to William Brownlee Ferguson Jr. and Mary Le Tulle Rugeley; he
attended Sewanee Military Academy and The University of Texas at
Austin, and in his senior year, he was drafted into the U.S. Army;
he served with distinction at Inchon in Korea from 1953 to 1955,
earning the Bronze Star and retiring in the reserves at the rank of
captain; and
WHEREAS, In 1963, Mr. Ferguson married Kittie West Nelson,
and the couple shared nearly four decades together; he was the proud
father of two children, Kittie West Ferguson and Henry Rugeley
Ferguson Jr., and later in life he was blessed with two
grandchildren, Reese and Presley; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of his working life, Mr. Ferguson
looked after his family's ranch near Bay City, traveled the rodeo
circuit as a professional bronc rider, managed the 20,000 acres of
Hashknife Ranches, and bred and raised horses; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Ferguson served his community as a director of
Texas Agribusiness and Port City Stockyards and the Scobey Moving
and Storage Company, as president of the San Antonio Zoological
Society and the Southwest Texas Methodist Hospital Foundation, and
as a board member of Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, the
San Antonio Museum Association, and the Charity Ball Association,
among others; in addition, he was a member of the San Antonio
Country Club, the Argyle Club, and Club Giraud, and he served as a
Special Texas Ranger; and
WHEREAS, A man of diverse interests, Mr. Ferguson rode horses
until well into his 60s, logged more than 100 hours as a scuba diver
in the Caribbean, and enjoyed hunting with his friends and
acquaintances; he also took delight in travel, lively conversation,
and art, and his extensive personal collection of Wedgwood china is
on loan to the San Antonio Museum of Art; and
WHEREAS, A true Texas gentleman, Rugeley Ferguson lived his
life to the fullest, and he will forever remain a vibrant presence
for those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Henry Rugeley
Ferguson and extend heartfelt sympathy to all who mourn his
passing; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Rugeley
Ferguson.