Born the sixth child of Mattie and Nathaniel Dixon, in Cleveland, Ohio,  Atta Louise Ferguson graced the world with her presence on June 22, 1950. In her early years, Louise was baptized at Zion Missionary Baptist Church (corner of 61st Skoval) where she attended with her family.  They joined Sacrificial Baptist Church in 1959 under the leadership of the late Rev. Walter Frazier. As a youngster, she enjoyed singing for Jesus; learning Bible stories in Sunday school; and helping her mother prepare/serve meals for the church. She served there for many years before moving to The Laborers For Christ Church in June 1997 under Pastor Portia Tibbs. In her later years, she frequently visited The Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church (corner 76th Central Avenue). Just as her mother and grandmother before her, her faith in God was the foundation on which her life and her service to others were built.

Louise attended both Alexander Hamilton and then John F. Kennedy high schools. She married John C. Ferguson III on March 25, 1966. She had four children: Marlicia, Jamal, Michelle,  and John.  Although she was most proud of being a mother, she had other service jobs that enhanced her life as well. She’d been a mechanic, a housewife, a caregiver, and a nurse.  She also had an obsession with food and loved to see people enjoy themselves while eating. She loved to cook; made you eat it;  and spoke incessantly about the various recipes she had tried or wanted to try.

Louise was a fun-loving spirit. She was cheerful, kind, thankful, thoughtful, forgiving, and crazy-cool. Her alter ego was called Red, and she loved to party, often becoming the center of attention just by walking into a room. Yet, under her street savvy facade was a humble, sweet and gentle person who always wanted to help others feel better. In addition to her obsession with cooking, she also obsessed over shoes. Her closet was filled with shoes that she had to have but never wore. She loved her family just as much. She thought of and treated her nieces and nephews as her own children. She encouraged the younger generations to pursue their dreams and never give up. Her favorite color was purple, and she loved to sing. Nevertheless, one brief synopsis of her life here could never do justice in describing the beautiful woman that was Atta Louise Ferguson.

Atta leaves to cherish her memory: one sister, Doris Wesley of Detroit, MI., (her son and family); her four children: Marlicia Gail Miller (Fred) of Painsville, OH (her four children and their families); Jamal David Ferguson (Ayesha) of Cleveland, OH (his two children); Michelle Monique Ferguson (Richard) of Euclid, OH (her two children); and John C. Ferguson IV of Tampa, Florida (his five children and their families); the fathers of her children: John C. Ferguson III and Frank R. Collier, Jr.; a special niece/daughter, Susie Pegues of Cleveland, OH (her two children and their families); a special sister, Wendy Isaacs (and family); a myriad of grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Atta’s life was not in vain, and she will be remembered in our thoughts, prayers, and hearts forever.