Mary Ogden Fersner

Mary Fersner, 73, of Charleston, SC passed away peacefully on January 14th, listening to her favorite playlist and surrounded by memories of friends and family. Loving wife, published novelist, devoted dog mom, and amusingly supportive friend - Mary will be missed by so many. 

Born on April 9, 1952, in South Charleston, WV to parents Doval and Freda, Mary spent her youth in Cross Lanes, WV developing a love of music, an appreciation for the written word, and an infectious laugh; three things all who knew Mary would use to describe her. Mary graduated from Nitro High School (WV) in 1970 and went on to attend Concord College. After spending some time at Concord, Mary decided it wasn’t the right fit for her and so she enrolled in Marshall University in 1975. She met Sherre Rothermund (now Burlingham) in student orientation and the two formed a friendship that lasted over 50 years; the world has not been the same since! She earned her degree from Marshall University in 1978 and made her a lifelong supporter of the Thundering Herd. 

Over the next decade, Mary held a variety of jobs, including teaching English at Pocahontas High School in West Virginia. Regardless of the job she held, she always found herself drawn to words - reading books, reading the newspaper, doing the daily crossword puzzle, and then writing her own words. Mary developed a deep love for writing and it was probably her deepest love until the day she was introduced to Jeff Fersner - her Binky - the love of her life. She and Jeff were married in 1992 in Folly Beach, SC. Jeff the engineer and Mary the writer spent their entire marriage supporting each other and entertaining their friends with food and hilarious stories. During their marriage they lived in Winter Springs, Florida for a few years before returning to the Lowcountry of South Carolina. 

No matter where they lived, Mary and Jeff always had a dog or two (sometimes more) and proudly proclaimed they were frequent “fostering failures.” Mary never met a stranger, her bubbly personality and her hearty laugh made her part of so many different groups and communities throughout her life. Professionally she was a member of the South Carolina Writers Association and served as the head of the West Ashley Writers Association for several years. As a dog mom and animal lover she was a supporter of the Charleston Animal Society and Pet Helpers. 

A lover of music, and especially hard rock music, she was a member of the Shiprocked cruise community where she formed friendships with hard rockers from all over the world. A fan of locally brewed craft beer, one of Mary’s favorite groups was the Craft Conundrum crew, who helped her learn about beer and develop a love of pairing brownies with stouts. One of Mary’s proudest accomplishments was the publication of her novel, The Guitarist. Not only did it combine her love of writing and hard rock music, but having members of so many of her communities show up to support her launch party is something she cherished for her whole life. 

Mary was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jeff Fersner; her father, Doval Ogden; and her mother, Freda Quick Ogden. 

Mary is survived by her brother, James Ogden, and sisterin-law, Judy Ogden of Overland Park, KS; niece Amy Lawlor of Overland Park, KS; brother-in-law Joe Fersner of Charleston, SC; nephew Conner Fersner of Nashville, TN; brother-in-law John Fersner of Folly Beach, SC; sister-in-law Judy Walker of Waleska, GA; and goddaughter Brittney Burlingham of James Island. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. 

In remembrance of Mary, listen to some rock music, read a book, pet a dog (or cat), and laugh out loud. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please consider donating to a school music program, your local library, or your favorite pet related charity.