John and Elizabeth Ferguson emigrated to Canada from
Scotland in the early 1900's. They came to Alberta with
their two sons, William and Alexander. John worked in the
coal mines in Commerce about 1912. It was there that their
son, Alex, fourteen years old, died of typhoid fever. Their
daughter was born in 1915. They then moved to Coalhurst
where John studied and became a fireboss until the
explosion in 1935, but they continued to live in Coalhurst.

Bill worked on the tipple at Coalhurst. He married a school
teacher from Rolling Hill and they moved to Fruitvale, B.C.
They have three children. Bill passed away in 1983.