January 24, 1918 - March 11, 2010

Married: Lillie Eller

Children: Elaine Ligon Anding, Suzy Ligon Davis, Bill Ligon, Jim Ligon

8 Grandchildren

5 Great-Grandchildren

Born and raised on the Cloyd-Ligon farm in western Wilson County. He graduated from Donelson High School in 1936. He entered WW II on Utah Beach as a company commander and helped build the main line of communications from Cherbourg to Frankfurt.

He is the fifth generation to farm the oldest bicentennial farm in Wilson County which was established in 1789. He is owner of the oldest Poland China purebred hog herd in the United States. He is also the owner of the oldest sheep farm in Tennessee, maintaining a flock of 125-150 ewes along with shorthorn cattle, wheat , barley, oats, grain sorghum and hay.

Mr. Ligon testified, twice each, before the Senate and House Agricultural committees about the plight of the family farm and his testimony is in the congressional record. He appeared in the book, "American Dream Lost and Found" by Studs Terkel about the dreams of Americans who were plain people. In 1970 he furnished his team of mules to be used in the ground breaking ceremony to build Opryland. In 1985 he received the "Distinguished Service Award" from the Poland China Record Association. Also in 1985 he was named "Mid-South Fair Farmer of the Year".

In 1999, the Mid South Fair named the swine show ring in his honor after exhibiting Poland China hogs for 50 consecutive years. In 1996 he was named Wilson County Fair Old Timer. In 2000, the TN State Fair honored him as their first honoree for the Distinguished Service Award for exhibiting Poland China hogs for 51 consecutive years. Two of his main goals in life were to produce top quality Poland China hogs and see the family farmer survive and prosper.