Sister Kate -

“Life really isn’t all that complicated. You simply write your own obituary and figure out how to live up to it.” My sister Kate never said those words, but she did live them. All who knew her knew of the remarkable life she lived: the places she lived, the many friends she had (all of whom consider themselves close friends), three wonderful children, an eclectic professional life. How she lived her life is her enduring legacy. I suppose she also could have said “life is in the details.” What else could explain her house - an adventure in hidden surprises, fascinations at every turn, a smile, and a chuckle wherever you were. Living life as she wanted certainly included lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of good times. Thank you, Kate, for showing us how life should be lived.

She received her PhD from the University of New Mexico with her dissertation being on Mungo Park. Mungo Park was a Scottish adventurer who achieved fame with his explorations of Africa. To those fortunate enough to know Kate, she brought Mungo Park to life with exotic tales of adventure, and immersion into another time and place. Her house was a world-class repository of Mungo Park memorabilia. Be sure to read: Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa by Mungo Park. Edited with an introduction by Kate Ferguson Marsters and dedicated to her father David Ferguson.

In even the most wonderful of lives, I suppose there must be something left undone. Not long ago Hollywood was thinking of making a movie based on Mungo Park and they were in need of authority. I know of one person who would have been ideal for that job. Now that person is her son David Marsters of Albuquerque, who now has the Mungo Park memorabilia. He will be the one answering the phone: “Hello Hollywood, I’ve been expecting your call.”

Kate was born in Sacramento and was raised in northwest Kansas. Kate passed away in Savannah, surrounded by family and love, on May 5th, 2023. In between, Kate lived in Aspen, Boulder, Steamboat Springs, and Gunnison Colorado. She also resided in Flaxville Montana, Chicago Illinois, Sandy Creek South Australia, Albuquerque New Mexico, and Erie Pennsylvania.

She is survived by her three children: Kisha Marsters of Savannah, Kisha’s daughter Ava Hayward and wife Alexis Drebitko, David Marsters of Albuquerque; Jake Marsters of Albuquerque, Jake’s son Jacob Marsters, and Jake Sr.’s Fiancé and step-son Amber and Dylan Hoffer; and her brother Andy of Denver.