February 3, 2016

John Donald Riggs Jr. of Parker, Kan., was born Feb. 2, 1931, and went home to be with the Lord Jan. 30, 2016, to be reunited with his wife Osee.

John and Osee were high school sweethearts at Parker High School. During his senior year, John played center for the Linn County Champs. He was offered a scholarship to attend and play football for Emporia State University, but instead decided to get married and start his family with Osee. John and Osee were united in marriage Dec. 17, 1950, and were blessed with six children. John and Osee made their home in Kansas City, Kan., where they raised their family.

John started working in 1950 for Sealright, Inc. out of Kansas City, Kan. He started as a maintenance man and worked his way up to supervisor. He worked for Sealright, Inc. for 42 years until he decided to retire in 1993.

In 1993, after John retired, he and Osee moved back to Parker and built a home on the family farm. John and Osee were very active in the Parker community, volunteering for Boy Scouts, the Parker Museum, the Parker Historical Society, the local food pantry and the Parker United Methodist Church. 

John was always an avid outdoorsman. He took his children camping, hunting, and fishing. He was outside as often as possible. In the spring and summer he would help Osee with a big garden where they grew various vegetables. They canned things like salsa, jellies and vegetables. John was known to make fudge for years. He even sent fudge to his cousin, who was in a submarine, during the Vietnam War. During basketball season you could find John watching the KU basketball team. He loved telling his kids and grandkids stories and he was very good at it.

John was preceded in death by his loving wife Osee Ellen (White) Riggs; daughters, Linda Riggs and Nancy Green; his parents John Riggs Sr. and Elsie (Petty) Riggs Cresson; twin brother, James Riggs; half-brother, Ray Riggs; and half-sister, Laura Bell Atkinson.

He is survived by his sons, John III (Molly) of La Cygne, Kan., Joseph (LaVeda) of La Cygne, Kan., James (Sarah) Fort Scott, Kan., and Jeffrey (Kristin) of Louisburg, Kan.; half-sisters, Darlene (Sonny) Carroll of Garden City, Kan., and Laurna Pendergraft of Lakeland, Florida. John is also survived by his loving grandchildren, Jo Anne Bair, Joshua Riggs, Erika Laney, Justin Riggs, Jessica Stiles, Joey Riggs, RaeAnna Riggs, Jedidiah Riggs, Billy Gooderl, Julie Burk, and Jesse Funk in addition to 20 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be 11-12 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. Service will follow at the Parker United Methodist Church, Parker, Kan.

Burial will be in Cadmus Cemetery, Cadmus, Kan.

Memorials are suggested to Boy Scouts of America and may be sent in c/o Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home, P.O. Box 430, Osawatomie, Ks 66064