It isn’t often a Catholic priest has the opportunity to minister to five generations of one family.

Father Gary Ferguson, pastor of Archbold St. Peter, has had that blessing with five generations of the Martha and John Radabaugh family of Blakeslee St. Joseph.  

Fr. Ferguson’s former assignments at St. Joseph, Montpelier Sacred Heart and his current pastorate have given him the opportunity to ministry to so many generations of Radabaughs.  

Father Gary Ferguson poses with happy parents Melissa and Dexter Radabaugh with their daughter, Anna, after her baptism. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Krueger)

In 1981, while Fr. Ferguson was stationed in Blakeslee, Martha and John Radabaugh’s grandson Michael was 8 years old and dying of an inoperable brain tumor.

“I became very close to [the Radabaughs], especially during the time of Michael Radabaugh’s illness and death,” says Fr. Ferguson. “That wasn’t an easy time, but being with [Michael’s] siblings and parents as he was in [and] out of the hospital and getting ready for his first Communion was very special.”

Fr. Ferguson celebrated the funeral Mass and later wrote a poem about Michael for his parents, Cletus and Mary Lou. Cletus, who is one of Martha and John Radabaugh’s five sons, lives in Blakeslee with his family.

This special poem is very comforting to the family and hangs in their living room yet today. Cletus Radabaugh remembers Fr. Ferguson as a very caring man with a tender heart and a good storyteller.  

“This was his first experience as a pastor,” says Cletus Radabaugh, “and he was very young and had two sister parishes, which he handled very well.”

 In 1982, Fr. Ferguson celebrated a Mass in honor of Martha Radabaugh’s 80th birthday and took part in the reception that followed.

While in Blakeslee, Fr. Ferguson helped with confirmation preparation for three of Cletus Radabaugh’s children. He also baptized Philip Radabaugh, a great-grandson of Martha and John Radabaugh.

Cletus Radabaugh’s son Stan lived in Delta after he married, but drove to Archbold for church because he liked Fr. Ferguson so much, who by then was assigned to St. Peter.

Stan Radabaugh has fond memories of youth group camping trips and Fr. Ferguson saying Mass on a large rock out in the wilderness. When the Radabaugh’s go camping near Archbold, they like to stop for visits and hear more of Fr. Ferguson’s great stories.

“I still continue a friendship with a number of the [Radabaugh] family members and three are current parishioners here at St. Peter’s,” says Fr. Ferguson. “I have such a sense of gratitude to have been able to walk this journey with them.”

At their request, Fr. Ferguson performed the marriage ceremony for Keith Radabaugh and his bride, Lilly, at her home parish, Edgerton St. Mary. Keith Radabaugh had gotten to know Fr. Ferguson when he was assigned to Montpelier Sacred Heart. Fr. Ferguson was ministering in Bluffton at the time of the wedding, but honored the family’s request to celebrate Keith and Lilly’s vows. Fr. Ferguson later had the honor of baptizing their son.

A current parish member of Archbold St. Peter, Dexter Krueger, a great-grandson of Martha and John Radabaugh, says seven members of the Radabaugh family have been altar servers for Fr. Ferguson at Blakeslee, Montpelier and Archbold.

Mr. Krueger’s parents, Cindy and Ralph Krueger, and two siblings are members of St. Peter. Fr. Ferguson baptized Dexter Krueger’s first-born child, Anna Pauline, Sept. 28.

“It was an awesome feeling to baptize the fifth generation member of this family,” says Fr. Ferguson. “I thought all the way back to her great-great-grandmother.”

Fr. Ferguson also baptized another great-great-grandchild of Martha and John Radabaugh at St. Peter, Ian Radabaugh.

The relationship between the priest and the family hasn’t gone in just one direction, according to Fr. Ferguson.

“They were there for me, also, during some rather trying times in my ministry and I value their friendship.”

The family says those feelings are mutual.

“My wife, Melissa, and I really enjoy having Fr. Ferguson as a pastor and appreciate very much the work he does in our parish,” says Dexter Krueger.

It has been very rewarding, Fr. Ferguson says, to be part of this family’s life events and faith journey over the years.

“I feel rather humbled and grateful that I have been around and able to serve five generations of this family,” he adds. “I have gotten close to people in all of my parishes, but this is the first one that I have known and served for five generations.”