Bill Bigbee

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A celebration of life for Bill Bigbee, 84, of Broken Bow, will be held on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, at Lillian Church of Christ at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Lillian Church of Christ (43949 Lillian Rd, Broken Bow, NE 68822) or charity of choice. Burial will be in the Lillian Cemetery. A visitation will be on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 from 2:00 PM until service time at the Lillian Church. Govier Brothers Mortuary are in charge of arrangements. An online guest book may be signed for words of encouragement or remembrance at www.govierbrothers.com

Govier Brothers Mortuary will comply with the CDC and State of Nebraska. Govier Brothers Mortuary sincerely encourages each person to make your decision whether to attend based on the best interest of your health and that of your community.

Bill Ray Bigbee was born April 18, 1936 at the family farm near Wilmore, KS. He was the fourth of five children born to Ray E. and Esther (Ferrin) Bigbee. He passed away on November 4, 2020, at Kearney Regional Medical Center.

Bill’s early childhood years were spent on the family farm in Wilmore where he began learning to farm. His schooling for the first two years was at Ridge Summit, a country school near their home, which then consolidated with Wilmore Grade School. In November 1942, Bill’s mother passed away. His father married Zenith Roderick (who loved Bill and his siblings as her own) in May 1948 and the family moved to a farm north of Merna, NE. During that move, Bill (age 12) helped drive a straight truck and put in the first corn crop by himself while his dad went back to Kansas to harvest wheat. Their first winter was a rude welcome to Nebraska as they endured the Blizzard of ’48. Bill finished grade school at a country school a few miles southeast of their farm. All through high school and three years following, he worked on Saturdays at Davolt's Grocery in Merna. Bill graduated in 1954 from Merna High School. After completing his education, he continued farming with his father.

On August 11, 1957, Bill was united in marriage to Phyllis Myers at the Lillian Church of Christ. They made their home north of Merna for a short time, before moving west of Broken Bow where they were engaged in farming and ranching. It was here that they were blessed with five children: Carolyn, Jeanette, Kathy, Mike, and Linda. Their first land purchase was the Bates farm in the Lillian community. When Bill’s dad retired in 1975, Bill and Phyllis were able to purchase his dad’s original farm north of Merna. In 1994, Bill and Phyllis built a home on the northwest edge of Broken Bow, continuing with farming and ranching until his death.  

A longtime member of Lillian Church of Christ, Bill was baptized in November of 1966. He was a part of the church board for several years, served on the school board of Prairie Hill District #74 most of the years his children were in grade school, and was a director on the Broken Bow Cooperative Marketing Association Board for many years.

In addition to being a successful farmer/rancher, Bill was mechanically gifted. He was able to repair, build, or modify nearly anything to solve a problem. A special project he was pleased to accomplish, with the assistance of a grandson, was restoring his 706 International tractor. He was able to use it in some tractor pulls and the Merna parade, pulling a “Bee-hive” trailer filled with his entire family. He also enjoyed pasture rides, especially when using his 4-wheeler with the wagon he built for giving rides to his grandchildren.

Highlights of the last few months include a surprise revealing of the restoration of his first tractor (a 1955 300 Farmall completed by a grandson), a big gathering at the farm with most of his family attending, and being able to participate in several days of harvest.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Phyllis, of 63 years; children, Carolyn (Jeff) Warren of Norfolk, Jeanette (Rusty) Parker of Norfolk, Kathy (Dan) Smith of Pleasant Hill, IA, Mike (Tania) Bigbee of Arnold, and Linda Mosel of Merna; eighteen grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; brother, Jerry Bigbee; and sister-in-law, Joan Myers.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and step-mother; infant brother, Richard Bigbee; sisters, Norma (Willard) Johnson and Joan (Bill) Lyddon; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Darlene Bigbee, Ruth Lea (Ray) Flannery, and Rex Myers.

Bill always enjoyed a good laugh. Even as he endured all the medical procedures in his last few years, he was ready with a quip or joke. We recall with fondness his teasing, especially of the children in his family, including nieces and nephews, and his practical jokes. We will miss him, but are thankful for his legacy of grit, hard work, and humor.