The eldest child, and only boy of four children born to John and Jessie (Whistler) Wygaard, Gene as he was known mostly grew up in Watertown, South Dakota. From 1911 to 1919 the family actually lived in Lemmon, which is in northwestern South Dakota. Like his father, Gene became a salesman, and by the age of twenty-two was employed at a Scott Dime Store in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. There he met a local girl named Eleanor Atkinson. The couple started dating after that. After being transferred to Marquette, they married there on December 7, 1931. Gene was transferred to the Minneapolis area, then to Iola, Kansas, where a daughter [living, identity protected] was born. In 1935 they returned to the Sault, then in 1939 to Bay City, where the second daughter [living, identity protected] was born. By 1941 the couple moved again, to nearby Saginaw, Michigan. It was there in the following year that they split up. The divorce was finalized on December 24, 1943, and soon thereafter, on January 29, 1944 Gene married Grace Jean Wager (Jeanne, pron. like Genie). This marriage lasted until his death four decades later. Still in sales, Gene became a regional manager for Benjamin Franklin Dime Stores. In the late 50s he joined with a colleague to form D. E. Wood Wholesale Sporting Goods. He worked with the company for twenty years, finally retiring in 1977. He passed away in Saginaw at the age of seventy-five.
The eldest child, and only boy of four children born to John and Jessie (Whistler) Wygaard, Gene as he was known mostly grew up in Watertown, South Dakota. From 1911 to 1919 the family actually lived in Lemmon, which is in northwestern South Dakota. Like his father, Gene became a salesman, and by the age of twenty-two was employed at a Scott Dime Store in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. There he met a local girl named Eleanor Atkinson. The couple started dating after that. After being transferred to Marquette, they married there on December 7, 1931. Gene was transferred to the Minneapolis area, then to Iola, Kansas, where a daughter [living, identity protected] was born. In 1935 they returned to the Sault, then in 1939 to Bay City, where the second daughter [living, identity protected] was born. By 1941 the couple moved again, to nearby Saginaw, Michigan. It was there in the following year that they split up. The divorce was finalized on December 24, 1943, and soon thereafter, on January 29, 1944 Gene married Grace Jean Wager (Jeanne, pron. like Genie). This marriage lasted until his death four decades later. Still in sales, Gene became a regional manager for Benjamin Franklin Dime Stores. In the late 50s he joined with a colleague to form D. E. Wood Wholesale Sporting Goods. He worked with the company for twenty years, finally retiring in 1977. He passed away in Saginaw at the age of seventy-five.
Inscription
WYGAARD
JEANNE
DEC. 29, 1923
OCT. 29, 1993
JOHN E.
SEPT. 22, 1908
OCT. 23, 1983
WE WILL MEET AGAIN
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