Rita Elaine Ferguson Prouty

Rita Elaine Ferguson Prouty experienced the most beautiful death Monday, 11/11/19, at 7:30pm, amidst a freak snowstorm, a full moon, and a meteor that blazed in the sky. Surrounded by love – her children and husband, she was singing and joking an hour before she died, an endearing rascal until the end. Having endured a hard life of much suffering, it is amazing grace that her passing was so peaceful and ideal.

Loved ones who passed before her include her parents, Regina and Woody Ferguson, her sister Elsa Lawry, her sons Keenan and Kenneth Prouty. Despite being quite ill, she visited Ferguson Cemetery, one of her favorite places on earth, a couple weeks before she died.

She is survived by her devoted husband of 53 years, Kenneth Prouty, her sister Lora Burch, and her children Kendra (Matthew), Jayson (Stephanie), Gina (Travis), Daniel (Nekeisha) and Sarina. She was extremely proud of her children, citing them as her biggest accomplishment. She also had several grandchildren – Zinnia, Dallas, Addison, Jonah, Sage, and Jack. She loved her pets over the years.

Rita lived a colorful life. She was an avid genealogist, tracing her family lineage to the Mayflower (ancestor George Soule). She donated her genealogy book collection to the Genealogy Library in Fort Wayne, IN. She obsessively collected things like camel figurines, Queen memorabilia, medical equipment, office supplies, and soapstone sculptures. She was fascinated with cemeteries and crime, and requested her remains be donated to University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility in Knoxville, TN.

She loved avocados, cotton candy, and orange Gatorade. She was always complimented on her bright blue hair and vivid tattoos – Queen on her left shoulder, and a creepy clown on her right arm. She wanted more, but the tattoo artist didn’t feel comfortable working on her increasingly soft and frail skin, so she cussed him jovially on her deathbed. She was stubborn, strong, feisty, dangerously brilliant and witty, and of course, hilarious. She gave many thrills and chills. She was born Oct 5, 1946, and lived 73 dramatic years. She leaves behind many fun memories and poignant poetry and other writings.