Mary "Deannie" Wiggins

Mary “Deannie” Wiggins, born Mary Claudine Buckman on February 25, 1935, in Indian Creek, Missouri, passed away on March 12, 2026. The second eldest of twelve children of Claude and Dorothy Buckman, she grew up on the family farm surrounded by a close-knit family that remained a cornerstone of her life.

In 1953 she married Bill Wiggins. Together they raised six children: Melinda and Tom Doyle, Mike and Jane Wiggins, Mark Wiggins, John Wiggins, Anne and Jeff Prickett, and Nancy and Greg Fisher. She took great pride in her 18 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren, offering them unwavering love and support. Until a stroke in 1981, Deannie worked as an underwriter for Bituminous Insurance. After her stroke she devoted herself to rehabilitation, earning the title of Rehabilitant of the Year and later guiding and encouraging others facing similar challenges.

She was preceded in death by her husband Bill at age 54, and by two sons, Mark and John. Among her surviving siblings are brothers Bernie and Janet Buckman, Donald and Carol Jane Buckman, Steve and Debbie Buckman, sister Carol Rickman, and sisters-in-law Alice Buckman, Sherry Buckman, and Linda Buckman. Those who passed before her include brothers Joey, Paul, Ambrose, Tom and Sue, Jim, and Carl Buckman, baby sister Dottie and Bill Campbell, and her special friend Wally Schwahn.

Deannie’s Catholic faith, nurtured as a longtime member of St. Pius Catholic Church since 1964, sustained her through life’s hardships. She cherished family and friends, creating a warm and welcoming home filled with lively kitchen gatherings, conversation, and laughter. She loved life deeply and reminded others to embrace it fully, to cherish those around them, and to hold one another in prayer. In her later years she found comfort and friendship at The Fountains in Bettendorf, where the staff’s patience and kindness meant a great deal to her.