Janice Ferguson, daughter of Johnny and Mina (MacFarlane) Ferguson, has been collecting souvenir spoons for more than 30 years and her collection now stands at 1050.

The collecting began, Janice explains, in 1975 when her grandmother, Mrs. Mattie Ferguson, gave her a collection of spoons depicting the 12 apostles. One of the spoons had been lost by her grandmother, so it was 11 Janice received, and since then she has lost another so the apostles have been whittled down to 10.

In addition to the apostles, her grandmother gave her a spoon celebrating the 50th anniversary of the United Church of Canada, and from there a passion was born that has filled walls of Janice’s home.

Janice has documented every spoon in her collection, knowing exactly where each comes from, who gave it to her. While the spoons commemorate places and events from all over the world, Janice herself hasn’t had to travel far to gather her collection. It has become so well known in Inverness that few people leave for places beyond without returning with a souvenir spoon for the collection.

The tiny spoons are from avross the province, the country, the world. They feature crests, Christmas, Mother’s Day, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Unification of Germany, the eruption of Mt. St. Helen’s, Halley’s Comet, Canada’s prime ministers, scores of other people and places.

The spoons are made of sterling silver, pewter, copper, brass, wood, plastic, bone and moose antler. Her oldest spoon, a family heirloom, dates back to 1905.

Janice averages adding about 60 spoons a year to her collection.

Janice Ferguson: daughter of Johnny Ferguson and Mina MacFarlane
Mrs. Mattie: Sarah MacDougall, wife of Matthew Ferguson, Johnny’s father

The first airplane to land in Inverness was not for a joyous occasion.

On March 13, 1948, Johnny Ferguson, age 33, died suddenly of diphtheria. There was a terrible snow storm raging and no cars were getting through to Inverness.

Johnny’s brother, Roddie, was attending St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish and was desperately trying to get home for his brother’s funeral. The train would not arrive until 7 p.m. and the funeral was at 3 p.m.

Roddie called a priest friend who located an airplane belonging to Eastern Airlines, a private club with a small field in New Glasgow. The pilot was willing to fly Roddie and his cousin-in-law, Leo LeFort through the storm.

They boarded the three-seater prop plane at St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish. A short time (35-40 minutes) later, the ski plane landed on a frozen MacIsaac’s Pond. The ice was cracking under the plane but held up for both the landing and the later lift-off.

A picture of the plane was taken by Sarah Beaton who was among the large number of people who turned out to witness the arrival of the first plane in the town.

Roddie and Leo arrived in time to attend the funeral of Johnny Ferguson.

Johnny Ferguson: father of Janice Ferguson
Mina MacFarlane: Johnny’s wife and Janice’s mother
Roddie Ferguson: Johnny’s brother

While living in Nova Scotia, I got to know family I had only heard about. One time when I was out visiting Aunt Billie, we were talking about weddings and Anniversaries, and the way things were done and the way things were celebrated. Aunt Greet & Uncle Hughie were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. I could not go to Detroit [where they lived]; some of the other family was going.

I said to Billie, “You know, it would be great when Greet and Hughie come home this summer if we had a surprise for them. We could have a party and invite people they haven’t seen for years. We could have it at my place.” We knew we probably could not outdo the Detroit gang but it would be fun nonetheless.

With the support of Billie and her family, and of course my family, I pitched the idea to our cousin Kay Stubbert who lives in Timberlea. We put our heads together. Kay was a great one for parties, and she got contacts for people she knew in the area who knew Greet and Hughie. I enlisted the help of Danny’s daughter Jane Webber (that is a whole other story) and Janice Ferguson to give me the names and addresses of the Ferguson relatives in the area. I started calling people and sounding much like a telemarketer explained who I was and how I fit in the Ferguson crew, and invited all kinds of people I never met before to my house on an August afternoon to celebrate Greet and Hughie’s 50th anniversary.

Kay Stubbert enlisted the help of her sisters who were home visiting. Anna came from Vancouver, Evelyn Stubbert, myself, and Kay (MacKinnon – Stubbert married to Ambrose Stubbert). I don’t think Edna was home this time; I know she was home for the August party the year before. We made lobster sandwiches, egg sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, we had vegetables and dip, cheese — tons of food. We had a cake, tea, coffee, the works, and the people came, and it was a tribute to Hughie and Greet like no other.

Cyril Sampson got a piano and Kevin and Theresa [Macdonald]’s daughter Marie played a few tunes for us. We had music, but it was difficult to hear the music over the talking.

Alan MacKenzie (piper with the 78th Highlanders Citadel Halifax –- My son Coady was instructed by and played with Alan), stopped by late in the afternoon on his way home from teaching at the Gaelic College in C.B. to play a few tunes and the guests were entertained by Anne Marie (my oldest daughter) and Kevin and Theresa’s daughter Marie with a couple of dance numbers.

The funniest thing was when Aunt Greet came up the stairs and the place is blocked, she stops on the stairs and looks at the people.

She had that look that said, “I know all you people, but what are you doing in this house.� They had a marvelous time.

One of Uncle Hughie’s nieces still owes me Rocky Road Squares; I have to find the paper to remember her name.

Aunt Billie: Billie Macdonald, sister of Julene’s mother Edith Macdonald
Aunt Greeet: Greet Macdonald, Billie’s sister
Uncle Hughie: Hughie Ferguson, Greet’s husband
Kevin and Theresa: Kevin Macdonald and his wife; Kevin is the son of Charlie Macdonald, brother of Billie, Edith, and Greet
Marie: Marie Macdonald, daughter of Kevin and Theresa
Kay Stubbert: wife of Cyril Sampson; cousin of Greet, Billie, and Edith
Evelyn Stubbert: Kay’s sister, married to Greg Mullins
Kay MacKinnon: wife of Ambrose Stubbert, Kay’s brother
Anna: another sister of Kay and Evelyn
Edna: another sister of Kay and Evelyn

Danny: Danny Ferguson, Hughie’s brother
Jane Webber: married name of Jane Ferguson, Danny’s daughter
Janice Ferguson: daughter of Hughie’s brother Johnny

Coady: Coady Summerfield, son of Julene Coady and Everett Summerfield
Anne Marie: Anne Marie Summerfield, daughter of Julene Coady and Everett Summerfield