Adela Filiu Ferguson went to America to define her dream with abiding faith in God, sheer guts and grim determination—clutching her midwifery diploma.
On her date with destiny, a great traffic jam was giving her a cardiac arrest on her way to an interview with a possible employer. Three blocks away from her destination, a burly secret service stopped her cab and asked, “Are you Adela? Mrs. Reagan is waiting for you.”
She was interviewed and before she could blink, she was hired on the spot. Mrs. Reagan, who at that time needed household staff to fill her Bel Air home, was impressed with her humble and gentle ways.
They were meeting the former President for the first time. Pres. Reagan strode towards the household staff and started shaking their hands.
His handshake was warm; his smile drop-dead gorgeous. He loomed and Adela looked so small, although she was brimming with thrill and enthusiasm. She thought he was the handsomest man in the whole world. His eyes radiated such warmth, sincerity and charm. She was eye-to-eye with the most popular president since WW II—the one who swept in a landslide into office, with forty-nine states representing all categories of voters: young, middle-aged, elderly; low-, middle-, high-incomed; protestants, Roman Catholics; progressive and blue collar.
It was the same thought they shared, and their reverie was broken when Mrs. Reagan fired her now famous first order, “Honey, walk Rex” (the dog).
The staff looked and smiled at each other. They knew who would be the real Commander-in-Chief. Life could be easy here at Bel-Air.
The first time she held the tray for the President, she was shaking like a leaf. He leaned very kindly towards her, holding her trembling arms said, “It is all right Adela, you’re doing just fine. If you could just tell me what this is?”
”Shepherd pie, sir,” she replied.
“But I can’t find the shepherd. Where is it?”
The ice was broken and everyone broke into guffaws, including Mrs. Reagan.
Mrs. Reagan was in constant touch with her friends through the phone.
She had a busier social life than Mr. Reagan.
They left together every morning for their office in Fox Plaza in Century City.
Most of their mornings were spent quietly at home—a far cry from the White House life, where socials were more often seen in long limousines, rusting furs, ornate gowns and jewelry the size of cow droppings.
After 20 years of public life, they needed to spend more time with family and friends, and with each other.
Usually, Pres. Reagan would be back 5pm to change and go to the basement for his exercises. He would pass through the kitchen, winking at Adela, and after his exercise, pass by the kitchen again and say, “Can I steal a cookie?”
Oh, my pleasure, Sir!,” would be Adela’s reply, who purposely lays the freshly-baked cookies on the table, for everyone to taste.
The Reagans spent their weekends mostly in their Santa Barbara ranch.
The President loved cleaning the pool. He cuts the trees that block the pathway to the pool. In one of Adela’s birthdays, the president gave her a pro-life pen and gold infants feet. His words were “this is an appropriate time for me to give you.”
To this day, they count as her most treasured possessions.
He also gave her all the empty bottles of every grand wine he opened for the VIP guests, knowing that she collects them. “This is for Adela!” he would announce.
Working with the Reagans , she met the Prime Minister of Canada, former President Nixon and his wife.
President Nixon drank tea but fell for her concoction of “special tea” which was served in every Reagan meal.
Princess Anne, Prince Albert and other VIP’s, including Barbara Walters and Tom Brokow were some of the other guests.
It was beyond her wildest dreams that they were not only sampling her recipes, she was actually serving them.
Sometimes, President Reagan would surprise the staff by bringing down coffee trays himself. They were all treated like family members. The secret service said they’d never had such a warm relationship with any other President before.
For Adela, working with the Reagans made her feel so honored and humbled.
She was only in high school back then, when she would see their pictures in the papers, during Pres. Reagan’s visit as governor of California.
Now, she was taking care of their meals and personal daily needs.
Her unsolicited advice? “Do not ever underestimate your dreams in life. Anything can happen if you believe. It means hard work. Never doubt you can do it with God’s help. Remember, you are never given a dream without the power to make it come true. If you seek what is good and honorable, and offer genuine service, your life would truly improve. Working with the Reagans taught me so much. I found out what was really important to me. I grew and learned what service was all about. I learned how, in spite of life’s everyday hassles and problems, just go on being yourself…and everything will fall in the right place.
(Note: Mrs. Ferguson is currently working at the Olympia Memorial Hospital where she has been a consistent model employee. This story is the only interview she has ever given about the Reagans.)
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E-mail Mylah at [email protected]
