Gerald W Biggers

Gerald Biggers died peacefully in his home on February 14, 2023. He was a tough old farm boy, and in recent years had weathered a host of health issues, including congestive heart failure, colon cancer, and had even beaten COVID twice, but his heart finally gave up.

He was born on February 2, 1938, in Mountain Home, Arkansas, the youngest son of William Laurel and Ida Pearl (Dutton) Biggers. During World War 2, while his oldest half-brother Alvin was fighting in Italy, his parents moved Harold, Russell, and Gerald to a small farm on Cowiche Mill Road, so his parents could work in the fruit industry. He graduated from Highland High School in 1956 and began working as a mechanic and tow truck driver. He loved hunting, fishing, camping, and woodworking, and spent his free time doing as much of those as he could.

On June 3, 1961, he married Patricia Ann McMurry, and went on to have 3 kids: Kerri Jane, Gail Denice, and Timothy John.

In 1980, they moved onto the family farm in Cowiche, where Gerald started his own mechanic business, and worked the farm on the side, raising alfalfa and eventually raspberries. He eventually went on to be the service supervisor and then equipment salesman at Upper Valley Farm Service in Tieton for many years, until he retired.

Gerald loved his huge gardens and he and Pat spent countless hours tilling and caring for them. He was very creative, and could make, or fix, almost anything, especially from wood. He built and restored furniture, built cabinets, as well as hundreds of other things for friends and family members. One of his favorite things to build were beautiful clocks for his kids and grandkids as Christmas gifts.

Gerald loved his family and spent a great deal of time doing things for his kids and grandkids, like going to sports games, school, and church events, as well as taking the family camping, hunting, and fishing. He never seemed to tire of our company, and over the years, he was always there to help us in any way we needed. He had many nieces and nephews and loved them all as much as his own kids. As he got older, he loved hanging out with his grandkids, and never missed a chance to see and talk with them.

Gerald was a Christian from a very early age and was always an active member of the church until his health got too bad to allow that. He will be remembered by everyone who knew him as a good, honest, hard-working, generous, and loyal man. He never asked for, or wanted, anything he didn’t earn, and did his best to instill those values in his children and modeled them for all who knew him. Most of all, he was a good father.

Gerald is preceded in death by his parents, William and Ida Pearl Biggers, and his older brothers and their wives - Alvin & Eleanor, Harold & Louise, and Russell & Bernice Biggers. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia Ann “Pat” Biggers, daughter Kerri (Tim) Schrindel, daughter Gail (Quintin) Molina, and son Tim (Christie) Biggers. He also leaves behind grandkids Jed (Erica) Tait (and his great-granddaughter Janiya Tait), Isaac (Laicy) Tait, Daniel Molina, Kaili Molina, Elizabeth Biggers, and Jacob Biggers. He also leaves a very large family of cousins, nieces, and nephews. He will be greatly missed by all.

A memorial service will be held at Highland Community Church, 16000 Summitview Road, Cowiche, Washington, on March 4, 2023, at 3:30 PM. A potluck dinner of Gerald’s favorite dishes will be held immediately following. Gerald was not a very formal man, and rarely wore a suit and tie unless he had to, so please come as you are. If you want to give him a smile, he loved Hawaiian shirts or plaid shirts!!

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.keithandkeith.com for the Biggers family.