Thelma M. Shively

Thelma Mae Shively was born March 25, 1929, to Leo Morton and Olivia Morton (Douglas) (deceased) in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was married twice producing her greatest accomplishments, her five children: Deon Ferguson, Sr. (deceased), Dianna Ferguson-Mosley, Reginald Ferguson, Sheila Shively (deceased), and James Shively.

She lived her entire life in Indianapolis, Indiana and attended Indianapolis Public Schools. She spent much of her career as a salesperson at Lazarus department store. Upon retiring, she started a new career as a Certified Nursing Assistant doing home health care. She excelled in this field and quickly became invaluable to the families she served in caring for their loved ones. Many of those families still remember the impact she had on their family.

She was so full of love and gave it freely to everyone. She was known by so many as “Mama” and had a whole host of individuals she considered to be her children. Being a supportive mother and grandmother, she spent a lot of her free time travelling with her children and grandchildren. She was the glue that held her family together and had a way of making all of her children and grandchildren feel like they were unconditionally loved.

She took great pleasure in attending Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church and loved her pastor and church family. Even when she was no longer able to physically attend, she frequently spoke of the support they had given her throughout the years.

She leaves behind in her loving memory, brother George Morton, Jr., sister Deborah Morton; children: Dianna Ferguson-Mosely, Reginald Ferguson, and James Shively; grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren, and all those that loved her so dearly.