Vida Ila Jean Ferris

OBITUARY FOR VIDA ILA JEAN AYRES FERRIS Vida was born June 11, 1931, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. She passed away December 11, 2017 at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital. She was the sixth daughter of Ernest Vellum Ayres and Myrtle Faye Huffman, both deceased. She enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1951 after graduating from high school in Susanville, California. She was assigned to Great Falls Air Force Base Montana where she was a teletype maintenance repairman. She went to a New Years Eve party with friends where she met Air Force Airman, Sergeant John Ferris, who also was a part of her assigned work station. He had always seen her in work fatigues and here she was all dressed in civilian clothing. John thought she was beautiful. So they dated every evening and on March 6, John proposed. They were married May 1, 1952 in Great Falls Montana AFB Chapel. They were married for 65 years 7 months and 10 days. While John was in the service, she went with her husband to Texas, Florida, South Carolina, back to Florida, again to California, Germany and finally back to California. She was unable to follow him to Labrador and Saudi Arabia. After John retired from the USAF in 1969, they made their home in Novato, CA. where their children attended and graduated from local schools. After the move to Auburn, CA from Novato in 1989, she began a search for a Christian Church and found her heart was lead to be a member of Colfax Assembly of God Church. A few years ago, the distance became too great, so she then joined the First Assembly of God Church in Auburn which she attended until her death. She enjoyed the Bible Study group, the Prayer Group and the friendliness of all of the church members. Her idea of relaxing was to sit in her chair with her autoharp and play hymns and write a song or two of her own. She is survived by her husband, John Edmond Ferris and their 6 children: Gary Ferris and his wife Karen, Denise Marriott and her husband Darrell, and Wesley Ferris and his wife Melinda. She also had a son, Darryl Lynn Ferris, who preceded her in death in 2012 at the age of 52. She also is also survived by her 16 grandchildren: Jeremy Friedlander and his wife Louise, Jonathan Friedlander, Joyelle Friedlander and her fiance Brad McElvain, Jordan Friedlander, Jacob Marriott (currently serving at Fort Bliss, Texas), Justin Ferris, Hannah Ferris and her fiance Brian Wester, Suzanna Yuill and her husband Derek, Ashley Steinle and her husband Blayne, Tyler Ferris and Trinity Ferris.She is also survived by her 6 Great Grandchildren: Brittany Friedlander, Brendan Friedlander,Brett Friedlander, Vincent Lula, Kailey McElvain, and Theo Wester.She is survived by her older sister, Elda Icel Wilson. All of her other sisters, Nelva Seymour, Winneta Smith, Lorena Finkenbender and Lyla Reed, have preceded her death. Vida will be greatly missed by her family and friends, but are rejoicing she is with her savior, Jesus Christ, whom she praised and loved with her whole heart.