Services for William K. Riggan, 69, of Washington, Iowa, were held July 21, 2009, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Richmond.
Peterseim Funeral Home, Kalona, was in charge of arrangements for Riggan, who died July 17 at his home.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Washington County or Holy Trinity Parish Hall Fund.
Bill Riggan was born March 15, 1940, to Henry and Amanda (Seering) Riggan. He graduated from Lone Tree High School and immediately started farming in the Lone Tree area and then Kalona area, raising feeder pigs for many years. He also drove semi-trucks for Slay Transportation of St. Louis for many years.
On August 27, 1960 Bill married Barbara Dawson at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lone Tree.
Bill was a member of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, serving on many committees as well as being IPPA President in 1985. He was honored as an Iowa Master Pork Producer and national Pork All American in 1980. He served on the Agricultural Advisory Committee for the Federal Reserve Board in Chicago. He was selected by the Jaycee’s as an Outstanding Young Farmer and is in the Feeder Pig Hall of Fame.
He was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Richmond and in 1991 was president of the parish council and a trustee. He also had served 24 years on the Kalona Cooperative Telephone Company Board of Directors until 1998 and as a director for the Kalona Savings Bank and later the First Interstate Bank. He currently was a director on the Lincoln Mutual Board of Lone Tree.
Bill is survived by his wife Barbara of Washington, six children and spouses: Madonna (Mark) Swartzentruber,of Riverside; Cindy (Ronnie) Hershberger of Wellman; Gregg (Dianne) Riggan of Washington; Brian Riggan of Kalona; Jane (Derek) Koppen of Lakota; and Margo (Jared) Duwa of Kalona; 24 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Also surviving are four brothers: Richard (Lois) Riggan of Ainsworth; Larry(Karwma) of Des Moines; Michael( Diane) of Muscatine and Kenny (Jan) of Ainsworth; five sisters, Marcia (Melvin) Blakemore of Clark, Mo.; Carol (Jim) Johnson of Lone Tree; Elizabeth (Gary) Droll of Colorado; Virginia (Lonnie) Lee of Avon, Ill.; and Sandra (Jack) Kleckner of Kingfisher, Ok.; four sisters-in-law, Sharon Riggan of Tiffin; Delores Riggan of Riverside; Margaret Riggan of West Liberty and Linda Riggan of Lone Tree; and one brother-in-law, Richard Knebel of Iowa City.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers, Earl, David, James, Lyle and Ronald and three sisters, Jeanette Riggan, Judith Pritchett, and Nancy Knebel.
The family extends their heartfelt gratitude for the many prayers and words of comfort shown them during the two and one half years of Bill’s struggle with cancer.
