Helen Ferguson
Helen Ferguson joined CPUCC in the 1960s after a friend invited her to join her for church services. When Helen got there, she was surprised to see that one of her best friends from college, Dee Nelson, was a member.
Kendall Link was the pastor at the time, and she instantly liked him as well as his wife, Jody. It was then that Helen started her long-time volunteerism and commitment at CPUCC.
The preschool program, Half Day Play, started and Helen became a teacher and then later the director. While director, the program grew so much that it had to expand into the Baptist Church for more space.
“As the years passed, mothers started working outside the home and needed childcare all day. Our numbers dropped but the program continued,” she said. “Linda Bender now serves as director.”
Helen was born in Rexmont, Pennsylvania in a house that her parents built. When she was just a young child, her father broke his leg while working in the Cornwall Ore Mines. Since there was no worker’s compensation then, her father and grandfather decided to raise chickens to sell.
“We moved from that ‘new house’ to a derelict farm in Annville, PA with my grandparents. Can you imagine how this must have felt to my mother – moving from a new home to a farm with no electricity, no running water, an outhouse, and living with in-laws,” asked Helen.
The family raised all their own food as well as vegetables for Campbell’s Soup company. After many years, the chicken business gave way to her father’s passion – everything for horse and rider by opening a very successful tack shop. Horses have always been a part of Helen’s life. She was on a horse before she was a year old.
When it was time for college, Helen really wanted to become a veterinarian, but because she had always been conscious of money, she chose to get her degree in teaching because it was a cheaper education choice.
Her first teaching job was in a four-room school in Quentin, PA. Helen taught the third and fourth grade students – a room with 47 students! She later moved on to teach kindergarten at Annville Elementary.
Helen and her husband, Charles “Ferg”, then moved to a pre-civil war house in Harrisburg that better suited their collection of antiques. That required them to leave their Lebanon County jobs and teach in the Central Dauphin district.
“I started the Kindergartens at West Hanover Elementary,” she said. “I had to quit teaching when I became pregnant for the first time since pregnant women were not allowed to teach!”
An opportunity for her husband to teach in England, took the couple and their sons Sean and Jamie to Europe. When the position was finished, the family purchased a camper and traveled throughout Europe.
Helen later taught at Cedar Crest Middle School for 12 years in their gifted program before Central Dauphin Schools contacted her to come to start a gifted program in Swatara Junior High. She retired in 2001.
She is also grandmother to three grandchildren – Aidan, Charlotte, and Drew.
Helen spoke about how the Devonshire Fair was such a “total church” event and how so many people spent so many hours preparing. But when COVID came along and the event couldn’t take place, the committee decided to stop holding it. The question was then – where do we go from there?
Helen suggested running a thrift shop in its place.
“Did I ever make a big error!” she said. “Too much work for the Fair? Multiply that by about a hundred or a thousand and you have the amount of work the thrift shoppe entails.”
Helen taught Sunday School at CPUCC. She worked with Peggy Kreiser teaching the four-year-olds for many years before the sports programs took over Sunday mornings. She has also led one of the adult Sunday School classes.
When asked about her thoughts about CPUCC, Helen says she loves her church.
“I love the fact that ‘no matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here,’” she said. “Having a grandson who is autistic and gay, I know he is always welcome in my church. We are so fortunate to have Scott as our musical director. Scott was my grandson’s first piano teacher, and they formed a bond.”
She also admires Pastor Cindy.
“I remember when she first came here, she got in the dunk tank at the music festival. She operated the dishwasher after a potluck dinner. No one works harder that Pastor Cindy. She manages to get 35 hours of work into a 24-hour day,” she said. “And talk about being on top of everything! Have you ever seen her desk? I’ll bet she can find what she is looking for in a split second! We are so fortunate to have Pastors Scott and Cindy here at Colonial Park United Church of Christ!”
And we are all fortunate to have Helen Ferguson as well.
February 2026
Meet other members of Colonial Park United Church of Christ by clicking HERE.
