Gloria Jeanne Adkins

1929 - 2018

Gloria Jeanne Ferguson Adkins died
Thursday, June 21, in Kona, HI. Mrs.
Adkins was 88. She was born Nov.
29, 1929, in Buda, NE, 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, NE, 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, NE, where he
worked as well prior
to returning to North
Platte. In 1971 the
couple moved with
their three youngest
children to Parker,
CO., 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, TN, bestknown
as the home of the Grand Ole
Opry.
Besides her music, many residents
in Nebraska and Douglas County, CO
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 is survived by her seven
children: Jeanne, Castle Rock; Jim Jr.
(Ann), Parker; Janice (Riaz) Vaziralli,
Virginia Beach, VA; Jeff (Marsha),
Centennial; John (Lori), Coulee Dam,
WA.; Jodie Anderson, Castle Rock, and
Jacquie (Bob) Murphy, Mobile, AL;
and daughter-in-law, Michelle, Parker.
She is survived by 20 grandchildren
and 42 great-grandchildren and a
great-great granddaughter. Survivors
include her brother, Donald Ferguson,
Palm Springs, CA; brother Lawrence
T. Jr. (Pat), North Platte; and sister-inlaw
Barbara Ferguson, Greenwood
Village. Survivors also include many
nieces and nephews. She was preceded
in death by her parents, her infant
daughter, Jeri Maree, her husband, Jim;
and her brother, Charles.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m.
July 3 at New Hope Presbyterian
Church, Castle Rock, CO. The family
welcomes those who wish to share
the service to a lunch following the
memorial service in the church hall.
The family requests donations to
the Denver Rescue Mission in lieu of
flowers.