Fr. Carl Ferris was born in Valentine, NE to Fallo (Fud) and Rose (Farach) Ferris on August 17, 1922 – residents of Cody, NE, and born again in Baptism to God at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Nenzel, NE. He attended elementary schools at Immaculate Conception parochial school in Rushville, NE and made his First Holy Communion there. He also attended grade school at Cody and Valentine. He graduated from the 8th grade at St. Mary's School, O'Neill, NE and the 12th grade, Valentine, NE. After graduation, he enrolled at Creighton University, Omaha. When war was declared, he enlisted in the Regular U.S. Coast Guard in Omaha, NE the 2nd of January, 1942. He served 5 years in the Coast Guard, 37 months on an Ice Breaker in the North Atlantic searching out German submarines and weather observation ships collecting data for the German military. The highlight of North Atlantic Patrol search and rescue was the capture of a German trawler and all 54 military on board. He was discharged in January of 1947. After a short stay in Valentine, he entered St. Thomas Theological Seminary, Denver, CO, September of the same year, where he earned a B.S. degree from the college and spent 4 additional years studying scripture, moral dogma, public speaking and canon law. In May of 1955, he was ordained by the then bishop of Grand Island, John Linus Paschang at St. Mary's Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Grand Island, NE. His first assignment was Assumption Church, Chadron, NE. Others were Blessed Sacrament, Grand Island; St. Michael's Spalding, NE; St. Mary's, Nenzel, NE and mission, St. Elizabeth's, Merriman, NE. While there, he supervised the building of the new church at Nenzel. His assignment there lasted 8 years. He would joke he thought the bishop had given him "life" there. Then he served at St. Joseph's Church, Chappell, NE with mission at Lodgepole, NE. When the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska – Kearney became vacant, he served there 3 ½ years. Bishop John L. Sullivan appointed him Rector of St. Mary's Cathedral, Grand Island. These were difficult times since so many changes came out of Vatican II, so he resigned his position and took the pastorship of St. Josaphat's Church community, Loup City. He came home to care for his ailing mother and retired from the active ministry at the age of 65. Prior to his death, he remained faithful to the Church and his vows, doing what he could to assist the priests and lay people of the area.
Fr. Carl passed away October 20, 2012 at Cherry County Hospital in Valentine. Funeral Mass was celebrated by the Most Reverend William J. Dendinger and concelebrated by priests of the diocese on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Valentine. Brother priests were pallbearers. He was laid to rest by his beloved mother and dad at the Ferris family burial plot, at Mount Hope Cemetery, Valentine, NE. He is survived by brother Joseph Ferris and wife Lois, sister-in-law Ruth Ferris all of Valentine and numerous nieces and nephews, brother priests and the Bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island. His parents, sister Rosemary and brothers Wakyn and Fuddy preceded him in death. Sandoz Chapel of the Pines was entrusted with funeral arrangements