Wiggins, Lonnie (1961-1971)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1971 Jul 1 p. 8

Birth date: 1961

text of obituary:

. . .

— Two brothers drowned while wading in a farm pond at the John Wiebe farm southeast of Newton on Monday afternoon. Ronnie Wiggins, 13, and Lonnie Wiggins, 10, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Wiggins, also of Route 5, drowned when they ventured into the deep end of the pond. They had been wading in the shallow part of the pond with their brother Jonnie, 7, and sister Cheryl, 12. According to Sheriff Norman Walker, the two older boys apparently did not realize the water was over their heads in the deep end. Jonnie and Cheryl ran to the Robert Weesmer farm, and rescue units from Newton were called. The bodies were recovered at 1:30 p.m. in five feet of water. Mrs. Rudolph Claassen of Route 5, a registered nurse, followed the rescue units to the scene and offered assistance, helping firemen give mouth to mouth resuscitation in an unsuccessful effort to revive the boys.