Nancy Wigren

Nancy Wigren was a wonderful woman, who lived a wonderful life, a woman who devoted her time, her effort, and her whole heart to her loving family. She was a bit of a perfectionist, who wanted things done right, and right now, but what she lacked in patience, she more than made up for in compassion. More than anything, Nancy was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, whose love lives on in them today. Nancys story began on a cold spring day in 1936, in the northern Michigan town of Fremont. Those were hopeful times in this country, which had endured so many dark days during the Great Depression. Yet in 1936, better days were ahead, especially for Leonard and Esther (McMillian) Scott, who celebrated the birth of a baby girl on March 10, a daughter they named Nancy Lee. Nancy joined her older sisters Jean, Barb and Mary, and her little sisters Martha and Sue came later into the familys home, though because of the large age gap between Nancy and Mary, it was as if there were really two sets of three girls. Her father worked in the hardware business, while her mother cared for the home. When she was just a little girl, the family left Fremont, moving to Muskegon Heights and into a two-bedroom home! Sharing the house with her five sisters made them all learn to get along, though, and the always-responsible Nancy even covered for her older sisters when theyd sneak out at night and get into mischief. Nancys childhood also made her stronger, as she survived a burst appendix, and also a terrible fall off her bike, putting her in a full body cast for awhile. Her time in the hospital gave her a lifelong appreciation for tidiness, as she loved having the nurses change her sheets every day! When she was in the eighth grade, Nancy met a young boy named Ronald Wigren, and a puppy love soon grew. They went ice skating together, and eventually became high school sweethearts. Ron was a big guy who played football, while Nancy was the shy girl who played baritone in the Muskegon Heights High School band. After she graduated in 1954, Nancy began working as a telephone operator for GTE, just as her mother once had. Two years later, she and her childhood sweetheart became bride and groom, when they were married on March 31, 1956 at Samuel Lutheran Church, where theyve been faithful members ever since. Nancy continued working for a few years, until her loving family began arriving. In 1957, the couple had their first child, a baby they named Ronnie Lee. It was a difficult birth, however, and Ronnie was sadly stillborn, which Nancy took understandably so hard. The following year, though, their daughter Rhonda joined the family, followed by sons Jim in 1959 and Jerry in 1960, with Connie rounding out the happy family in 1964. Nancy became a proud and loving parent. There was little question as to who ran the house growing up. Nancy never had much patience, and when she told the kids to do something, it had to be done right and right then! She was a tireless homemaker, though, whose perfectionist streak caused her to often get down on all fours and scrub the floors! After growing up and learning her older sisters tricks, Nancy never let her kids get away with anything, either. She had an uncanny intuition, and always knew when they were up to something and that went for Ron, too! He was an avid hunter, and duck season was cause for great debate in their home. Nancy never let him off the hook, however. While there was little question to who ran the house, there was even less question about how much Nancy loved her family. She was an incredibly caring and compassionate woman, who devoted her life to caring for them. They did so much together over the years, especially enjoying the Great Outdoors. They loved camping on the White River, where Nancy would whip up a big outdoors meal, and enjoyed bike riding and cross-country skiing, too. Impromptu picnics were a great tradition, as well. In 1965, the family built a beautiful home on Duck Lake Road, which became a beloved haven for them the rest of their days. Nancy filled the yard with gorgeous gardens of wildflowers, and a babbling brook ran through the backyard. When her children had grown, Nancy went back to work at GTE, until she retired in 1990 to spend more time with her loving family, which by then had grown to include her wonderful grandchildren. She adored being a grandma, and never missed one of their activities or events, and baby-sat for them every chance she had. She also took the kids on vacations to the Upper Peninsula, to go hiking, biking and fishing. As a result, the kids became more like siblings than cousins. Every summer theyd gather in Rhondas pool, while Thanksgiving and Christmas were always spent at Nancys, complete with huge meals and her famous chocolate chip cookies and apple crisp. Nancy also made sure Ron didn't bring home a scrawny tree during the annual family Christmas tree hunt. Through the years Nancy and Ron were faithfull members of Samuel Lutheran Church. Nancy was active in the womens groups and enjoyed serving coffee, being a greeter and doing communion setup. Her children and grandchildren also attended and there were many happy weddings and baptisims there. Later in life, Nancy suffered a fall, tearing her rotator cuff, an injury that caused her great pain and discomfort the rest of her life. She handled it well, and didnt let it slow her down, but it worsened over time. Nancy and her beloved Ron celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2006, which was a special event for them all. They had so many special moments together, though, and Nancy loved any chance to gather the whole family together. Sadly, Nancy died unexpectedly on Monday, October 29, 2007, at the age of 71. Nancy was a wonderful woman, who lived a wonderful life, a woman who devoted her time, her effort, and her heart to her loving family. She was a perfectionist, who wanted things done right, and right now, but what she lacked in patience, she more than made up for in compassion. Above all, Nancy was a loving and beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend, whose love lives on in them today. She will be greatly missed. Nancy is survived by her husband, Ronald; 2 sons, James (Judy) Wigren of Ravenna & Jerry (Angela) Wigren of Shelby; 2 daughters, Rhonda (Paul) Derks of North Muskegon & Connie (Paul) Harig of Fruitport; 11 grandchildren, Justin Derks, Jerad Derks, Emily Derks, Ryan Wigren, Tessa Wigren, Amanda Wigren, Nicole Zuniga, Jennifer Huback, JeriAnn Smith, Andrew Harig & Kristine Harig; 2 great grandchildren, Tyler Huback & Christian Zuniga; 2 sisters, Martha (Larry) Robbins of Muskegon & Susan (Darwin) Hinken of Whitehall. She was preceded in death by her son, Ronnie Lee & 3 sisters, Jean Slaterling, Mary Johnson & Barb Tolar. Services are scheduled for Friday, November 2, 2007, 11:00 AM at Samuel Lutheran Church with Rev. Lewis Glick officiating. Interment at Fruitland Township Cemetery. Visitation is Thursday, 6-9 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home & Friday, 1 hour prior to the service at the church. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to share a memory or photo of her, or to sign the online guest book.