Wavern Briggs
Montezuma. Wavern Briggs, 78 of Montezuma passed away Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at the Veteran’s Medical Center in Iowa City. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 am Monday, January 3, 2010 at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home in Montezuma. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Interment will be held in the Masonic IOOF Cemetery in Montezuma. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), P.O. Box 14301 Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301.
Wavern Lee Briggs, son of Homer and Zella (Kirby) Briggs was born on September 14, 1932 in Poweshiek County. He graduated from New Sharon High School in 1949. Wavern enlisted in the United States Navy in 1951 and was honorably discharged in 1955. He attended DeVry Technical Institute after the service. Wavern was married to Louise Dewitt and had two sons, Tim and Jim. They were later divorced. On April 8, 1961, Wavern was united in marriage to Carolyn Hook. To this union one son was born, Lee. Wavern raised Carolyn’s daughters, Carol and Beth, like his own daughters. They resided in Montezuma where he owned and operated Briggs Radio and T.V. until he retired in the Spring of 1991. They raised a granddaughter, Michelle Grubb since she was six months old. Wavern enjoyed spending time with his family. He was a member of the Blakely-Stevens American Legion Post #169, Lafayette Masonic Lodge No. 52 and the Montezuma Volunteer Fire Department, where he served as Fire Chief for five years.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn of Montezuma; three sons, Tim (Carmen) Briggs of Norwalk, Jim Briggs of New Sharon and Lee Briggs of Des Moines; one daughter, Carol Grubb of Montezuma; two sisters, Louise (Dean) Doonan of Pella and Colleen Fox of New Sharon; 10 grandchildren, Dustin Briggs, Kurtis Grubb, Angie Grubb-Howrey and Michelle Grubb-Sytsma and several great-grandchildren.
Wavern was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Melvin Briggs and Kenneth James Briggs; a sister, Virginia Briggs and a daughter, Beth Jones in 1996.
Source: Holland-Coble Funeral Home
