Martha F Riggs, 83, passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2020 surrounded by her family and friends, after a long hard battle with bladder cancer.
Martha F. Kennedy was the first child of Edward L. and Catherine (O’Connor) Kennedy and was born on June 24, 1936. On October, 5, 1957 she was united in marriage to Irving “Spud” Riggs. Martha and Spud met at a dance in Victoria, Illinois and danced through 37 years of marriage before Spud died in July 1994.
Martha graduated from Corpus Christi High School in 1954, worked as a telephone operator for a short time before embarking on her journey to become a hard-working farm woman. She worked hard and loved the family farm Barefoot and spent countless hours there and then her and Spud bought Little Barefoot where they raised and showed Purebred Montadale Sheep for over 50 years. They travelled all over the states showing and selling their prize-winning sheep. They have rams and dams from coast to coast. She kept and cared for her sheep up to about a month ago when her disease would no longer let her care for them any longer and that day a little part of her died. She made many friends far and wide in the sheep industry and she loved every wild minute of it. She travelled to not only many shows and sales, but had countless wild adventures with her best friend Myrna (her cohort and partner in crime) and together they were a pair, but they had fun and my mother loved her so. Martha was most proud of her Champion Ewe at the National Montadale Show and Sale. Martha, Myrna, Lucy, Heather and Teresa went to the state fair to show and they stayed in hotels, they had fun, but they all complained because when they went nobody got any sleep because Martha was a big-time snorer. They would all come back tired but happy about a time well spent together.
Martha also played cards when she slowed down on the sheep showing, she played Shanghai Rummy, Canasta, and Hand and Foot. She loved and cared (and worried) about all her card playing cohorts – Connie, Carole, Peg, Susie, Maxine, Jeannie, Sue, Dotty, and many others that she played with over the years.
Martha is survived by her son Chuck (Lynn) Riggs of Galesburg, daughter Sue (Bill) Scott of Galesburg, grandson Sean (Stacy) of Gilson and great grandchildren Patience and Colton. She is also survived by her brother Pat (Lucy) Kennedy of Galesburg, and her sister Mary Kennedy of Galesburg. Numerous nieces and nephews survive “Aunt Martha”. Also surviving are her dear friend Myrna, Ethel, Jane Ann, Anna and all her card playing cronies. Martha will be deeply missed and there will be a hole in our hearts until we are together again. Martha was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brother, Mike, sisters
Sheila and Sarah and nephew Eddie.
Martha’s wishes were to be cremated. There will be a graveside service so she may be placed with her loving husband at Wataga Cemetery 10 a.m. Thursday May 28, 2020. A celebration of life will be held at a later date, when we can all be together to celebrate the life of this wonderful woman. Memorials may be made to Wataga Senior Center, Services have been entrusted to Watson Thomas Funeral Home and Crematory, Galesburg. Online expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.watsonthomas.com
