Lester Carl Ferguson, 73, of William Flinn Highway, Mercer Township, died at 6:55 p.m. Sunday at his home after a brief illness.

Born in Marion Township, Oct. 14, 1932, he was the son of Carl Thomas Ferguson and Clementina Louise Eaton.

He had owned a general store and gas station, Ferguson Keystone Service, in Hazen, where he sold groceries, gasoline and sold and repaired lawn mowers and chain saws.

He moved to Grove City in 1964 and worked at Cooper Bessemer. He later worked at Shawgo Brothers Construction in Grove City and then became a self-employed masonry contractor, starting Ferguson Builders, which he owned and operated the remainder of his life.

He served in the Army from 1953 to 1957, was stationed in Germany. He obtained the rank of first sergeant.

Mr. Ferguson was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Slippery Rock Branch. He was an elder of the church and recently served as the Elders Quorum president.

He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and reading.

Surviving are his wife, Christine Marie Benedek Ferguson, whom he married Oct. 26, 1951; two sons, Gregory L. Ferguson and his wife, Melissa and Jeffrey L. Ferguson and his wife, Valerie, all of Harrisville; a daughter, Lisa C. Shaffer and her husband, Bradley, of Falls Creek, Pa.; two brothers, Albert L. Ferguson of York and Raymond A. Ferguson of Mercer; and three sisters, Opel DiFillipo of Florida and Mary Labor and Edna Nulph, both of Grove City. Also surviving are five grandchildren, Stacey Templin, Jonathan and Abby Ferguson and Corey and Travis Corbin; and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two brothers and four sisters.

<B>FERGUSON </B>— Friend of Lester Carl Ferguson, who died Sunday, July 2, 2006, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the <B>Smith Funeral Home</B>, 421 New Castle St., Slippery Rock. Visitation also will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 275 Kelly Blvd., Slippery Rock. President Thomas L. Pearcy, branch president of the Slippery Rock Church of Latter-Day Saints will officiate. Burial will be at Prairie Cemetery, Harrisville.