Riggle Byrum Hogue
August 17, 1919 - January 31, 2017
Riggle Byrum Hogue, 97, Galena, MO went to be with his Lord on January 31, 2017. He was born August 17, 1919 the eleventh of fourteen children, in Rogersville, AL to William James and Martha Elizabeth (Willis) Hogue. Riggle was preceded in death by his first wife, Annie Hensley in 1967 and his second wife, Elizabeth Tazewell in 2006.
He is survived by and will be remembered with love by his sister, Verla Virginia Horton of Sikeston, MO; two sons, Destin (Carma) Hogue of Waldorf, MD and Dan (Laurel) Hogue of Bellevue, WA; three daughters, Taza (Brian) Keene of Pateros, WA, Beth (Ray) Carty of Galena, MO and the apple of his eye, Bonnie Rebecca Hogue of Galena, MO. Riggle was blessed with nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Riggle joined the Army right out of high school and did his basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. He heard about this new service involving airplanes and figured there would be a lot less marching in that branch so he talked three other recruits into taking a short discharge and re-enlisting in this new Army Air Corp. He went on to be part of the campaigns in North Africa and Italy and was fascinated and enchanted with the different lifestyles he encountered.
In 1952, as a propeller mechanic in the Air Force, he participated in the atomic bomb tests at Eniwetok Island and was also part of the crew responsible for washing the radiation off the airplanes when they returned from their mission.
After twenty two years in the Air Force, Riggle retired as a T-Sgt. And began a new career with Xerox Corporation in the Washington D.C. area where he installed and serviced their copiers until he retired, again, in 1978 and returned to Missouri, locating in Galena. His final retirement was from the Olive Garden in Springfield, MO in 1998.
Riggle became baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1976 in Suitland, MD and where he also met Elizabeth Tazwell and was sealed to her in the in the Washington D.C. Temple. When Riggle and Elizabeth had three children, he delivered them all at the home place.
Riggle’s wartime memories were saved by the Missouri Veterans History Project and placed in the Library of Congress and the State Historical Society of Missouri.
Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 8, 2017 in Stumpff Funeral Chapel, Crane, MO. Funeral services will be held following the visitation at 2:00 p.m., burial will be in the Galena Cemetery, Galena, MO under the direction of Stumpff Funeral Home, Crane, MO.
