Gloria Jeanne Ferguson Adkins, 88, died June 21, 2018, in Kona, Hawaii.
She was born on Nov. 29, 1929, in Buda, the daughter of Lawrence T. and Rose I. Ferguson. Her father was with the Union Pacific Railroad and the family soon moved to North Platte, where she would live the first part of her life, attending school there and graduating from North Platte High School in 1947.
She was active in the First Baptist Church there for many years, leading the youth group with her husband. She was a Blue Bird/Campfire Girl and Cub Scout leader. She actively participated in North Platte Community Theater, including a stint as Hand-Car Hannah for the Nebraskaland Days celebrations.
Gloria married James Morris Adkins Sr. on Oct. 5, 1947, on his return from the Pacific theater where he served in the U.S. Navy. The couple lived in North Platte, where Jim was both circulation and advertising director of the Telegraph Bulletin. They also lived in Idaho, where he worked for a newspaper chain prior to moving to Cozad, where he worked as well prior to returning to North Platte.
In 1971 the couple moved with their three youngest children to Parker, Colorado, living in both Castle Rock and Parker since that time, when they went into partnership to own and operate the Parker Press and the Douglas County News, Elbert County Press and Elbert County News and the Aurora/Southeast Suburban Press newspapers with Jerry Brock and daughter, Jeanne, who later joined the partnership.
All who knew Gloria were blessed by the beautiful voice God had bestowed on her. Winning state competitions in high school, she continued in her lifetime to use that gift in choirs, singing at events and nursing homes and singing karaoke. The evening before leaving for a Hawaiian Gospel Music cruise she was singing karaoke in Castle Rock with friends. The room would quiet as the music flowed through her and enveloped her audience. A highlight of her life was being selected to sing in the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, best-known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry.
Besides her music, many residents in Nebraska and Douglas County, Colorado, knew her through her weekly column — Coffee With Gloria — which she wrote for many years focused on her children, their lives and her expanding number of grandchildren. She was active in the Castle Rock Senior Center, an election judge and caucus participant and a member of the Denver First Church of the Nazarene, although she attended New Hope Presbyterian in Castle Rock.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her infant daughter, Jeri Maree; her husband, Jim; and her brother, Charles.
She is survived by her seven children, Jeanne of Castle Rock, Jim Jr. (Ann) of Parker, Janice (Riaz) Vaziralli of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Jeff (Marsha) of Centennial, John (Lori) of Coulee Dam, Washington, Jodie (Mike) Anderson of Castle Rock, and Jacquie (Bob) Murphy, Mobile, Alabama; daughter-in-law, Michelle, Parker; 20 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; a great-great granddaughter; her brothers, Donald Ferguson of Palm Springs, California, Lawrence T. Jr. (Pat) of North Platte; sister-in-law, Barbara Ferguson of Greenwood Village; many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Denver Rescue Mission.
Services will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 3, at New Hope Presbyterian Church, Castle Rock. The family welcomes those who wish to share the service to a lunch following the service in the church hall.