Patricia Ann Ferguson

Patricia Ann Ferguson, 81, passed away on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at home in Ankeny, Iowa. Pat was born on October 25, 1944, to Frank and Marguerite (Kornmeier) Allen in El Paso, Texas.  

A Memorial service will be at St. Francis of Assisi, West Des Moines, on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 10 AM, immediately followed by a time for fellowship at the church.  Interment will take place at a later date at Chapel Hill Gardens in Des Moines.

Pat grew up in a military family, living around the world before graduating high school in Ohio (Bishop Hartley) and college in Illinois (St. Xavier).  She married Tom Ogier and moved to Iowa to start a family. She later found happiness in her marriage to Larrie Ferguson on October 15, 2011, spending her happiest years with him before his passing on March 18, 2015.

Pat is survived by her children, William (Victoria) Ogier of Ankeny, IA, and Michelle (Mark) VanLandschoot of Lakeville, MN; her granddaughters, Norah, Stella, and Ellie; and her sister, Frances Michelle Allen of Bay Point, CA.

Pat's career was in Human Resources, where she worked with a variety of organizations in hiring, employee development, and benefits administration.  She valued the interview process and getting to know people, taking care to match individuals with roles where they could succeed.  She reflected often on the importance of asking the right interview questions, believing any time she saw someone unhappy with their job that it likely started with HR asking the wrong questions.  

Pat's later years were challenging after her stroke in 2020, but she still found enjoyment in visits with friends and family along with simple pleasures like DQ Blizzards and McDonald's.

Pat was most grateful for her years with Larrie, having someone to share life and many sightseeing trips with.  She stayed in touch with friends from across the decades and had a formidable system for managing Christmas letters.  She cherished her role as "Gramma Pat" and all of the time and love she poured into her grandchildren.

Pat loved her church family at St. Francis of Assisi; leading GriefShare groups, mentoring Catechism candidates, maintaining friendships and having lunch with many close friends.  She was an avid genealogy researcher and documenter, a natural crossover of her joy for getting to know others and for storytelling.  She amassed a formidable genealogy library and contributed research online for others to use as well.

Pat loved flowers but her surviving family is not great at keeping plants alive.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to St. Francis of Assisi (GriefShare) or the On With Life Foundation.