Glen E. Figgins

Glen Elmer Figgins, the son of Jesse Raymond and Lily May (Wolford) Figgins was born December 14, 1924 at the family farm northwest of Carbon, Iowa. Glen entered eternal rest Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at Corning Specialty Care, Corning, Iowa, at the age of ninety-three.
Glen was the fourth child. His brothers and sisters were Opal, Jesse, Joseph, and Darlene. He attended school in Carbon and later joined the Army. After his return home he met Wilma Colleen Smyser. They fell in love and married at the First Baptist Church in Corning, Iowa, on June 3, 1952. His cousin Ronald Figgins and future sister-in-law Joyce Smyser Nash were witnesses. Glen and Colleen were married for 65 years. They enjoyed celebrating their 50th anniversary with friends and family. They were looking forward to celebrating their 66th anniversary. To their union five children were born: Karen, Karla, Glade, Gaila, and Beverly. They were also blessed with six grandchildren.
Glen and Colleen started his farming career south of Massena and later moved to the farm west of Corning. Along with farming, Glen also worked at the Omar Bakery, Miller/Sickler Chevrolet. He also worked as private carpenter remodeling homes, roofing, and constructing agricultural buildings. Glen took great pride being a farmer and he was especially proud of the conservation methods he used protecting the soil and groundwater. He enjoyed working with his hogs, sheep, goats, rabbits and cattle.
Glen’s hobbies were wide and varied. He enjoyed spear-fishing for carp, fishing, hunting and trapping. Glen enjoyed league bowling at Corning, as well as bowling with friends and family at the various bowling alleys in southwest Iowa. He also like playing cards with family and friends. Glen and Colleen enjoyed square dancing, making the square dancing circuit weekly, and later dancing and listening to the local performers at several of the country music jams in southwest Iowa. Glen was a lifetime member of the Masonic Lodge. He attended numerous churches including country church, First Baptist Church, Grace Baptist Church, and the Carbon Methodist Church. In Glen’s last few years, he especially enjoyed his visits with special friends Peter and Donna Rochau. Family was very important to Glen and he will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Left to cherish Glen’s memory are his loving wife: Colleen, Corning, Iowa; children: Karen (Robert) Butcher, Corning, Iowa; Karla (Ralph) Kuhn, Des Moines, Iowa; Glade Figgins, Corning, Iowa; Beverly Figgins, Bellevue, Nebraska; six grandchildren: Daniel (Catie) Butcher, Anoka, Minnesota; Brandie Miller (special friend, Adam Huisman), Suzanne (Brian) Sulzer, Dubuque, Iowa; Jeanette Figgins, Council Bluffs, Iowa; Randy and Glen Rohwer, Omaha, Nebraska; great-grandchildren: Mollie and Mason Butcher, Anoka, Minnesota; Vincent and Cameron Starks, Council Bluffs, Iowa and baby girl Sulzer, Dubuque, Iowa, arriving about the time of Glen and Colleen’s wedding anniversary; sister Darlene Luke, Ottumwa, Iowa; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Preceding Glen in death were his parents; daughter; Gaila; sister: Opal Appleby; brothers: Jesse Jr. and Joseph Figgins; grandson-in-law: Vincent Starks; brother-in-law: Kenneth Luke; nephew: John Luke.