Obituaries

Ferne Story

Ferne Mary Story, 91, of Littleton, Colorado, formerly of Winslow, died Jan. 3, in Littleton. Ferne was born on Jan. 15, 1914, in Cedar Rapids, Neb., the sixth of nine children of Carl James and Ethel Elizabeth DeLancey Babbitt.

At age 10 she suffered a serious hearing loss, a problem that plagued her for life. Her father was a tenant farmer and she spent her childhood on a variety of farms in western Nebraska. To complete high school she had to stay with a family in a nearby town and was separated from her family for weeks at a time. As was the custom, she boarded with a family in exchange for housekeeping and babysitting services.

In 1931 she became the first member of her family to graduate high school. Perhaps more importantly, during her senior year she boarded in Maxwell with the family of Bill Story where she met Bill's younger brother Don, the love of her life.

She married Donald H. Story on Feb. 21, 1933 in Maxwell. They moved shortly thereafter to Elwood, where they operated a small grocery store. The family moved to Winslow in 1942 where she was a homemaker and mother to three sons.

She was involved in everything her children did, including PTA, Cub Scouts, Little League baseball and many high school activities. She was a life member of the First Christian Church and was active in the choir, Sunday and Vacation Bible School, and the Church's mentoring program.

She remained in Winslow until 1997 when she moved to Littleton, Colorado.

Her hobbies included gardening, sewing, crocheting, bowling, reading and pinochle. She was an avid baseball fan until the end and was especially fond of both the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. She hated to see October come - it was a long time until Spring training. She could quote batting averages and other statistics like a professional.

Her grandsons said she should have been a "senior citizen color commentator" for ESPN or other sports network.

After her husband's death in 1969, at age 55 she applied for a social security number and went to work outside the home for the first time since 1939. She was employed by the Central Drugstore from 1969 until the store closed.

She is survived by three sons, Brian (Alana) of Centennial, Colorado, Charles (Robyn), of Cortez, Colorado and Donald of Tucson Arizona, four grandsons and two great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband and all of her brothers and sisters, Willis, Emory, Paul, Edith, Ione, Ethel, Patricia, and Opal.

No greater tribute can be made than to say that she was a wonderful wife, mother and friend.