Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Ernestine (Ferreira) Scott was born in 1938 to Rosie and Frank Ferreira in Farmersville, outside of Tulare, California. As the youngest child, Ernie was raised with two older siblings, Rose and Frank. Her mother was a hardworking farmer's wife, while her father was a dairyman and rancher. At a young age, Ernie had responsibilities on the ranch doing farm chores. She woke up early every morning, fed the chickens and collected the eggs. The farm was actually a large operation with many ranch hands, so there were always things to do. Sadly, Ernie's father passed away when she was only 13. After her father's passing, Ernie's mother and brother ran the dairy and the ranch but in the end the family chose to sell the ranch and moved into a modest home in Tulare proper. Ernie went on to graduate from high school. After graduation, she found work as a hairdresser, but quickly changed professions when, in typical Ernie fashion, it was discovered she did not have a license!

With dreams of moving to the big city, Ernie moved to Los Angeles. It was there where she met James Merritt, a musician. The couple had a lot in common as they both loved music. They welcomed their only daughter into the world and named her Sheila. Their shared love for their daughter enhanced their relationship. Although everyone assumed Ernie and Jim were married, they made it official when Sheila was seven. In the mid 1960's, having a child out of wedlock was still taboo, so the couple married out of their love for their daughter. Sheila felt absolutely loved by her parents. They made her feel like a princess and always made sure she had what she needed.

When Sheila was a teenager, her father traveled all over the world, supervising large scale pipe line construction projects. He traveled to Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Japan for extended periods of time. While Jim was away working, Ernie and Sheila developed an especially close bond facing life's challenges on their own together. That bond remained close throughout Ernie's life. Ernie was creative and crocheted in her spare time, but that was hardly enough to keep Ernie interested. She was an avid bowler, and belonged to many different leagues throughout the years. Always smiling, Ernie was a lot of fun to be around. She was a great cook who never followed recipes.

The family loved the outdoors and for several years went camping almost every weekend with many friends joining in the fun, hunting, boating and fishing. Evenings were spent around the campfire roasting marshmallows, while Jim played the guitar and sang songs with Ernie singing harmony. Ernie was a great dancer who loved to Jitterbug the night away. Ernie had a love of animals. She always had little dogs as pets through the years and allowed Sheila to always have a few herself.

Ernie worked at Manchester Tank for many years. They manufactured propane tanks for RVs and BBQs. Ernie made sure Sheila learned to work at a young age, having her working at Manchester Tank at the age of nine so that she would be close by. Sheila worked part-time after school and full-time during the summer months alongside her mother. Ernie was very protective of her daughter and liked watching over her, even into adulthood. She raised her daughter to be strong and independent. She always encouraged her to make her own choices. When Sheila married Tony, Ernie gained a son. She loved Tony for his dedication to her daughter and also because he loved her.

Ernie worked along with Tony and Sheila for many years and when they started Carter Hardware she didn't hesitate to help their new business get started. She was a hard working and dedicated person. She was always in a hurry to go to work. The family joked it should be called "24-Hour Hardware" because there were nights when Ernie would be leaving the house for work and Tony was just getting home from work. The customers loved her. She enjoyed the customers and developed close personal relationships with many of them. Even when she collected money, people loved her. With one special customer, Chris, she'd sit down with him and a bottle of frozen Vodka to go over the invoices. She loved to give the suppliers and Reps a hard time and would be especially tough on them if they didn't keep a commitment. Those who worked with her over the many years at Carter Hardware - Kyle, Kent, Willy (who would do anything for her) and her dear Debbie who for so many years shared a special relationship filled with frustration, love and all the things that bind a heart together will remember the values she placed on being an important part of working life. She just loved people. She didn't retire until December 10th, 2009, at the age of 71.

Honored to become a grandmother, Ernie was at the hospital on the day the twins were delivered. She was among the first to hold Cassidy and Jackson after they were born. In 1996, Sheila became very ill and Ernie moved in to help her with the kids. It worked for the family and Sheila liked having her home. Ernie never interfered and allowed everyone to be who they were. She was always great to have around. Known as "Vava," which is Portuguese for Grandma, Ernie loved her grandchildren. She was in the everyday fabric of her family's lives. The kids could crawl into bed and watch Saturday morning cartoons with her. When they were little, she read books, sang songs, played with and bathed them. As they grew up, she shared a love of sports with her grandson, Jackson. They enjoyed watching sporting events together including car racing, football, baseball, and basketball. Since Jackson was five, she went to all of his soccer, basketball and baseball games. Ernie even taught Jackson how to bet on football. Every week during the season they loved to see who had picked the most winners. When Cassidy was a baby she loved to comb her hair and to Tony's dismay would put a beautiful curl a top her head. Ernie shared a love of crime shows with Cassidy and they watched many of their favorites together including CSI and Law & Order. Cassidy enjoyed joining her grandma for dinner chatting and teasing, laughing and just being with each other.

Beyond her life at home with the family, Ernie also had an amazing social circle. Seven nights a week she'd go out to dinner. While she loved spicy Mexican food, her favorite was clams on the half shell. She spent many years enjoying the friendship and company of her close friend Char. They traveled to Pismo Beach and Vegas and celebrated divorces, marriages, kids and grandkids. Those times shared will always be remembered.

Ernie could be found most nights at one of two of her favorite places. The first would be Fabrocini's Italian Restaurant. She enjoyed sitting and reading having a glass of wine and visiting with the Fabrocini Family, the waiters staff and customers at her favorite table. She loved meeting her friends Carol and Gary there on Friday nights, chatting and dining together. They developed a close friendship that she loved and looked forward to every week. The second place she enjoyed was The Sugar Mill. She loved meeting her friends, Len, Madeline, Joni and the gang to sing, dance and share her favorite Scotch and Water. They were her friends, she loved being with them and they made her very happy. She loved going out and singing karaoke, dancing and laughing. She was always on the go and always in a hurry. She didn't waste time and loved being spontaneous. She enjoyed the atmosphere of going to Las Vegas or Indian Casinos. Even though she was a modest woman, she liked gambling now and then. Her real fun in life was being with people.

In her free time, Ernie was an avid reader of Danielle Steel romance novels. After reading a book, she gave the books away to her friends so they could enjoy them. She never held on to things. Instead, she liked giving things away. Recently, Sheila gave her a Kindle Reader and she loved it. One of Ernie's favorite sayings was "People plan and God laughs." She never worried about life or planning, because plans always changed. The best parts of Ernie's life were her friends, her family and the fun. She loved to laugh and have fun. Her purpose was to enjoy life and not have the burden of responsibility. She was always a good person to other people, and she was independent. Even when Sheila was going to the same restaurant, Ernie took her own car, so she could leave when she wanted to. While she was independent, she was never alone. Twelve years ago, Ernie's mother called Sheila and asked her to "Please promise to take care of your mom." Sheila agreed and the next day her Vava had a stroke. Sheila has always looked out for her mom.

In many ways, Ernie was a free-spirit, who soared her way through life. She didn't live by rigid rules. She was saucy, energetic, feisty, and fun. She had a big personality and she was a good friend to many people. She was absolutely loved by both her family and friends. She didn't judge people at all. Instead, she believed you should do what you love and be who you are. Following her own advice, Ernie was her own person.

Raised Catholic, Ernie believed in God. At the hospital, she had a conversation with a Catholic Priest who gave her last rites. It was clear that Ernie didn't want to be in the hospital, she wanted to go home. Sheila honored her wishes and brought her home. In her final hours, Ernie understood that she mattered, she knew she was loved, and her life was complete. She was very happy to be home and the last impression she left was her smile. She went home on Saturday and passed away peacefully on Super Bowl Sunday. While Ernie loved traditional holidays, her favorite day of the year was Super Bowl Sunday. Ernie celebrated the Super Bowl with her friends every year. After she passed away, it was Jackson who brought it to his mother's attention reminding everyone, "It's okay. She left on her favorite day of the year. It's Super Bowl Sunday." Jackson had the defined the essence of his Vava: a life filled with fun and games and so many smiles. Life to Ernie was not about material things, but it was about family, friends and living life. Sheila called her friends to tell them she had passed and they were all together for the Super Bowl. In a way, they celebrated her life together on the day she adored.

Ernie lived life her own way: Live it hard & live it fast. Her family will miss everything about her and so many friends will miss her. Ernie will also be missed by all of the parents and grandparents who attended Jackson's baseball games. They really got to know her and loved her. Sheila and Tony are grateful that Cassidy and Jackson had such a great relationship with their Vava. It is rare and special to be so close to a grandmother. Ten years ago, both Sheila and Tony lost their fathers within months of each other. Now, they've lost their mothers within months of each other. They believe they are all at peace. Ernie, who was always in a hurry, was ready to go.

Ernie will be laid to rest with family photos and personal notes, a drawing by Cassidy of a butterfly, a poem written by her sister Rose titled Frank, Ernestine and me, a bottle of Scotch, a pack of cigarettes, a deck of cards, Las Vegas chips and dice, and three crosses. She saved the crosses from her mother's funeral and her brother's funeral. She had even saved the cross from her father's funeral all these years. With great importance, those three crosses will be by her side. Ernie's advice to everyone would be: "Do what makes you happy."

Ernie was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Frank and former husband James Merritt. She is loved and remembered by her daughter Sheila and son-in-law Tony; grandchildren Cassidy and Jackson; sister Rose; and many many friends.