James O. Wiggins

On the morning of Monday, June 29, 2015, our dad decided it was time to go be with his beloved Marge. James Otha (Chambers) Wiggins was born July 30, 1920, in Boston, to Evelyn Rose Bouley and James O. Chambers. At the age of 3 he was adopted by Walter Leroy Wiggins. He lived in Boston and Ogden, Utah, for several years before moving to Lewiston and eventually into the orphanage on Mission Creek. He remained there for two years and attended school in Culdesac, where he graduated from the eighth grade.

As a teenager, he served in the Civilian Conservation Corps and helped build the road up French Creek on the Salmon River and the Riggins city water supply.

In 1941, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in Seattle and was placed on active duty on the USS Calcaterra out of New York for patrol on the North Atlantic. He was trained as a diesel engineer and achieved the rank of motor machinist mate first class.

Once in the military, he found his way back to Boston, where he met the love of his life, Marguerite McArdle. They were eventually married at The Holy Redeemer Catholic Church on Sept. 18, 1943. Dad was discharged from the Coast Guard in 1946. At that time, Dad worked on the first "Big Dig" in Boston, which would supply the water to the city. After that, Dad moved the family to various places on the East Coast and eventually found his way back to Idaho. He first worked in the mines in Kellogg, but eventually settled in Lewiston in 1953. Here, he and Marge continued to grow the family until they had a total of 11 children.

Dad worked at Potlatch Forests Inc., now Clearwater Paper, for several years before landing a job at the Lewiston Post Office in 1965. He retired from the U.S. Postal Service in 1989 as a distribution clerk.

Dad was not a real social guy, but Marge made sure he got out to meet people. They were members of the Seaport Good Sam Recreational Vehicle Club and members of the Clarkston Moose Lodge. As a couple, they shared many outings with their close friends, Barb and the late Bill Anderson of Lewiston and Pat and the late Ross Chandler of St. Maries. Our families spent many special events together over the decades.

Dad is survived by eight of his 11 kids. They include Linda (Rod) Kennedy of Nampa, Idaho, Russ (Kristie) of Kamiah, Rod (Peg), Judy (Roy) Wood, Jim (Delsie), and Bob, all of Lewiston, and Cheryl Sanders and Lori (Ned) Lawton of Moscow. He also leaves behind 25 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father; his wife of 63 years, Marge; as well as his sons, Robert, Richard and Ronald.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home, with a graveside service at Lewis-Clark Memorial Gardens. A luncheon will immediately follow at All Saints Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family wishes for any memorial donations to be sent to the veterans charity of one's choice.