Ida Estelle McFerrin (1906-1994)

BIRTH: 1 Oct 1906, Compton, Newton, Arkansas, USA
DEATH: 24 Jul 1994, Sacramento, Sacramento, California, USA
FATHER: Joseph Henry McFerrin (1876–1969)
MOTHER: Aly Ann Howell (1878–1971)
SPOUSE: Earnest Edgar (1904–1992)

When Ida Estelle McFerrin was born on October 1, 1906, in Compton, Arkansas, her father, Joseph, was 30, and her mother, Aly, was 27. She married Earnest Edgar on January 1, 1924, in Newton, Arkansas. They had three children during their marriage. She died on July 24, 1994, in Sacramento, California, at the age of 87.

The Life of Ida Estelle McFerrin

Ida Estelle McFerrin was born on 1 October 1906 in Compton, Arkansas, a small Ozark community where families lived close to the land and to one another. She grew up in a world of steep hills, dirt roads, and tight‑knit neighbors—a place where children learned early the values of hard work, thrift, and loyalty. The rhythms of rural life shaped her childhood, and those early lessons would carry her through every chapter of her long life.

On 1 January 1924, at the age of seventeen, Ida married Earnest Edgar, a young farmer from nearby Newton County. Their marriage marked the beginning of a partnership rooted in the simple but demanding life of the Ozarks. Together they built a home, raised livestock, tended crops, and welcomed three children into their family: Lester, Mary Jo, and Anna Lee.

Earnest and Ida with children Lester and Mary Jo. c1930

Ida’s early married years were defined by the realities of rural Arkansas—long days, seasonal work, and the constant effort required to keep a small farm running. She cooked, cleaned, gardened, preserved food, and cared for her children while Earnest worked the fields. Their life was modest, but it was steady, and Ida’s quiet strength held the household together.

A Mother Through Hard Times

The 1930 census shows the young family living in Summit Township, Boone County, with Earnest farming and Ida caring for their two small children. By 1940, the family had grown, and Ida—then 33 years old—was raising three children while Earnest continued to farm. She had completed sixth grade, typical for rural girls of her generation, but her education in resilience, resourcefulness, and responsibility was far deeper.

The 1930s and 1940s were difficult years in the Ozarks. The Great Depression lingered, and farming families often struggled to make ends meet. Ida managed the household with ingenuity—stretching food, sewing clothes, and doing whatever was needed to keep her children fed and clothed. She was the steady center of the family, the one her children relied on for comfort, discipline, and love.

A Life Upended

In 1945, Ida’s life changed dramatically. Her husband Earnest was committed to the Benton State Mental Hospital in Haskell, Arkansas—a painful and life‑altering event for the entire family. The 1950 census recorded him as an inmate and patient, leaving Ida to raise their children alone.

Ida’s apartment at 212 N Willow St, Harrison, Arkansas

With the farm no longer sustainable, Ida moved to an apartment in Harrison, Arkansas, where she began working as a machine operator in a garment factory. It was demanding work—long hours, repetitive tasks, and modest pay—but it provided the stability her family needed. In the 1950 census, she reported earning $900 in wages in 1949, a significant sum for a single mother in rural Arkansas.

These were years of quiet courage. Ida carried the weight of responsibility without complaint, guiding her children into adulthood while building a life for herself through sheer determination.

A New Beginning in California

In 1959, Ida made a bold decision that would shape the rest of her life: she moved to Sacramento, California. There she would live closer to her daughter, Anna Lee. She found better opportunities in the West, where postwar growth offered steady work and a fresh start.

In Sacramento, she found employment as a seamstress at Duffy’s Tailor Shop in the Town and Country Village shopping center. Her skill with a needle—honed through years of sewing for her family—became her livelihood. She took pride in her work, known for her precision, patience, and reliability.

California became her home. She built a new life there, close to her children and grandchildren, surrounded by the community she created through work, church, and family.

Later Years and Legacy

Ida lived a long life, marked by hardship but defined by perseverance. She saw her children grow into adulthood, welcomed grandchildren, and remained close to her family throughout her years in California.

She passed away on 24 July 1994 in Sacramento, at the age of 87, and was laid to rest in the community she had embraced in her later life.

Legacy of Ida Estelle McFerrin

Ida’s story is one of quiet strength. She endured the challenges of rural poverty, the strain of raising children alone, and the uncertainties of starting over in a new state. Yet she met each chapter with resilience, dignity, and unwavering devotion to her family.

Her legacy lives on in the generations that followed—through the values she instilled, the sacrifices she made, and the love she gave so steadily throughout her long and remarkable life.

Parents

FATHER: Joseph Henry McFerrin (1876–1969)
MOTHER: Aly Ann Howell (1878–1971)

Married

Earnest Edgar (1904–1992), married 1 Jan 1924 in Newton, Arkansas, USA

Children

Lester Edgar (1924–1998) married Alberta Gregory (1924–1990)
Mary Jo Edgar (1927– ) married Charles Floyd Allred (1920–2020)
Anna Lee Edgar (1931– ) married Eric E Bardy (1929– )

Documents

Birth Records
- Arkansas, Birth Certificates, 1914-1922 > Name: Ida E. McFerrin; Gender: Female; Race: White; Birth Date: 10 Jan 1906; Birthplace: Compton, Newton, Arkansas, USA; Father: Joseph H. McFerrin; Mother: Aley Ann Howell
Wedding records
- Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1972 > 1923 > Volume 065-076 > Name: Ida McFerrin; Marriage License Age: 17; Record Type: Marriage License; Birth Date: abt 1906; Marriage License Date: 28 Dec 1923; Marriage License Place: Arkansas, USA; Marriage Place: Newton, Arkansas, USA; Spouse: Ernie Edgar
- Arkansas, U.S., County Marriages Index, 1837-1957 > Name: Ida McFerrin; Gender: Female; Marriage Age: 17; Event Type: Marriage; Birth Date: 1907; Marriage License Date: 28 Dec 1923; Marriage Date: 1 Jan 1924; Marriage Place: Newton, Arkansas, USA; Residence Date: 1924; Residence Place: Compton, Newton, Arkansas; Spouse: Ernie Edgar; FHL Film Number: 2020695
Death records
- California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997 > Name: Ida Estelle Edgar; Social Security #: 431468978; Gender: Female; Birth Date: 6 Oct 1906; Birth Place: Arkansas; Death Date: 24 Jul 1994; Death Place: Sacramento; Mother’s Maiden Name: Howell; Father’s Surname: McFerrin
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 > Name: Ida E. Edgar; Social Security Number: 431-46-8978; Birth Date: 1 Oct 1906; Issue year: Before 1951; Issue State: Arkansas; Last Residence: 95821, Sacramento, Sacramento, California, USA; Death Date: 24 Jul 1994
Census Records
- 1910 United States Federal Census > Arkansas > Newton > Plumlee > District 0102 > Ida McFerrin (age 3), living with parents Joseph H McFerrin (age 33, farmer) and Aly McFerrin (age 31) and siblings Verra McFerrin (7), Bayard McFerrin (5) and Hester McFerrin (1)
- 1920 United States Federal Census > Arkansas > Newton > Osage > District 0105 > Ida E Mc Ferrin (13) living with parents Joseph H Mc Ferrin (43, farmer) and Aly A Mc Ferrin (41) and siblings Vera O Mc Ferrin (17), John B Mc Ferrin (15, farm laborer), Rhoda H Mc Ferrin (11) and Troy J Mc Ferrin (8), living on Jasper Road in Plumlee township
- 1930 United States Federal Census > Arkansas > Boone > Summit > District 0028 > Earnest Edgar, age 26, farmer, living with wife Ida Edgar (age 23, Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 8th grade) and children Lester Edgar (age 5) and Mary Joe Edgar (age 3)
- 1940 United States Federal Census > Arkansas > Boone > Summit > 5-29 > Earnest Edgar, (age 36, farmer, highest grade completed: Elementary school, 8th grade) living with wife Ida Edgar (age 33, Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 8th grade) and children Lester Edgar (age 15), Mary Joe Edgar (age 13) and Anna Lee Edgar (age 8)
- 1950 United States Federal Census > Arkansas > Boone > Harrison > 5-13 > Ida E Edgar
  Age 43, machine operator in the garment factory industry, lived at 212 N Willow Street (apartment upstairs in front), Harrison, Arkansas, earned $900 in wages in 1949.