Andrew and Edith Fergusson

Edith May Sandercock Click to open page on Edith May Sandercock
, the youngest child of Richard Click to open page on Richard Sandercock and Mary Ann Click to open page on Mary Ann Sandercock nee Lockyer
, was born at Riverton on 16 December, 1880. She would have attended school at Riverton as a girl. At the age of 21 Edith Click to open page on Edith May Sandercock
married Andrew Fergusson Click to open page on Andrew Fergusson
, son of Peter Fergusson Click to open page on Peter Fergusson , of Marrabel, on 20 November 1902. The wedding took place at the Sandercock farm north of Riverton, and the witnesses were a C.H. Rex, a farmer friend of Andrew's Click to open page on Andrew Fergusson
from Saddleworth, and Marge M. Fergusson Click to open page on Marge M. Fergusson , his sister, of Marrabel. Andrew Click to open page on Andrew Fergusson
was 32, and the officiating minister on that occasion was the Rev. J.J. Nicholls. It is believed that Andrew Click to open page on Andrew Fergusson
was born near Salisbury, north of Adelaide.

Edith Click to open page on Edith May Sandercock
and Andrew Click to open page on Andrew Fergusson
lived firstly at Marrabel where he continued to farm. Some time later and by 1915, he left farming and bought a store in Marrabel, where he and Edith Click to open page on Edith May Sandercock
carried on a mixed business. When this enterprise was sold, the Fergussons moved to Saddleworth, their house on the Burra Road being known as “Guernsey Cottage”, This was about 1918. The Will of Mary Ann Sandercock Click to open page on Mary Ann Sandercock nee Lockyer
, proved in 1926, names Andrew Click to open page on Andrew Fergusson
as one of the executors and gives his occupation as labourer. He died two years and five months after his mother-in-law, on 24th October, 1928, aged 58 years.

There were eight children in the Fergusson family, born between 1903 and 1918. The eldest, Agnes Mary Ross Click to open page on Agnes Mary Ross Fergusson , always known as Ross, nursed at the Riverton and Auburn Hospitals, though she had had little or no nursing training. During her service at Auburn Ross Click to open page on Agnes Mary Ross Fergusson nursed her father before his death. She died of a heart complaint aged 29, in 1932, and is buried at Auburn. The third daughter Rita Click to open page on Rita Fergusson , as a young girl, was said to dislike boys and threatened her mother that should she ever have a brother, she was going to leave home! Unfortunately, many a true word is said in jest. When her mother was carrying her seventh child, Edith Click to open page on Edith May Sandercock
herself became ill for some months and Rita Click to open page on Rita Fergusson and a younger sister were cared for by family members and friends. Rita Click to open page on Rita Fergusson died at Marrabel in 1916 after complications from measles had set in, and one month later her mother gave birth to a son, Frank Click to open page on Andrew Frank Fergusson
.

Edith Click to open page on Edith May Sandercock
died in the Riverton Hospital after an illness, on 30 August, 1941, aged 63. She was buried at the Church of England cemetery beside St. Philip's, Belvidere, south of Marrabel, on 1 September, with her husband and daughter Rita Click to open page on Rita Fergusson . The Fergussons were members of the Church of England and attended St. Philip's when they lived at Marrabel. When the family moved to Saddleworth they worshipped at St. Aidan’s Church near their home at “Guernsey Cottage”. Edith Click to open page on Edith May Sandercock
and Andrew Click to open page on Andrew Fergusson
are survived by their three younger daughters Jean, Mrs Stevens Click to open page on Jean Fergusson , Gwen, Mrs Dickenson Click to open page on Jean Fergusson , and Madge, Mrs Milde Click to open page on Madge Fergusson
. Madge Click to open page on Madge Fergusson
, the youngest Fergusson child, is a busy Volunteer field worker in the St. John Ambulance Brigade in Adelaide, since her husband Harold Click to open page on Walter Harold Milde retired from their farm at Saddleworth.

Frank Fergusson Click to open page on Andrew Frank Fergusson
, the only son of Edith Click to open page on Edith May Sandercock
and Andrew Click to open page on Andrew Fergusson
, had the gruesome task during World War II of helping to bring home the corpses of Australian servicemen for interment after being killed in action in the islands.