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A native of York
County, Dr. Bigger was a son of the late Walter Mason Bigger and
Lelia Pegram Bigger and was the widower of Harriet Welborn Bigger.
He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, where he was a deacon
and elder. He was former department chairman and professor emeritus
of agriculture at Middle Tennessee State University. He graduated
from Clemson University in 1934 and from Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and Michigan State University. He also taught at Tennessee
Technological University and the University of Arkansas.
He was a member of several agricultural organizations, Sigma Xi, a
Rotarian for more than 40 years and a Paul Harris Fellow.
He was a veteran of World War II, served in the Philippine Islands
and was held as a prisoner of war for 34 months. He was a survivor
of the Bataan Death March and was liberated by Gen. Douglas
MacArthur's forces from Bilibid Prison in Manilla Feb. 4, 1945. He
retired from the Air Force in 1945 with the rank of major.
He died April 10, 1999 in Murfreeesboro, Tennessee. He was survived
by two daughters, Delia Goodman of Milton, Tennessee, and Carolyn
Lattimore of Greenville; and six grandchildren. If any family member
should see this, we would love to have a photograph to honor Dr.
Bigger. |
