1951 - 2020
Married: Cheryl Ann Summers Ligon
Children: Randi Langlois, Dr. Andy Ligon DVM, Jason Duncan Ligon
Bill Ligon was born, raised and still lives and farms the bicentennial land that his original ancestor, John Cloyd, staked in 1789 as a Revolutionary War land grant in the Mt Juliet community. Growing up on the farm, his family raised purebred Poland China hogs, Hampshire sheep and Shorthorn cattle. They also grew wheat, oats, barley, milo and hay. Bill is the son of Herschel and Lillie Eller Ligon. His father was inducted into the Wilson County Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2008. Bill graduated from Mt Juliet High School in 1968. He was on many FFA judging teams during high school and obtained his American Farmer degree in 1969. He also played baseball during high school. He enrolled in the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he double majored in Animal Science and Agriculture Education. While obtaining his BS degree, he was on the UT Meat Judging team and was second high individual in the southeastern contest and eighth high individual in the national contest held in Madison, Wisconsin. The following year, he was on the UT Livestock Judging team, where he was the high individual in the southeastern contest held at Mississippi State University and ninth high individual in the national contest held at the famous Chicago Stockyards. While at UT, he was also in the FarmHouse Fraternity, Army ROTC and vice-president of the Block and Bridle Club. While in ROTC, he was a "Distinguished Military Graduate." Bill served in the US Army Reserves and obtained the rank of Captain. After completing officer basic training at Fort Lee, VA, he was offered the opportunity to manage the hog and sheep operation at UT Blount Farm while getting his MS degree in Animal Science. His thesis was on "Comparison of Pasture versus Confinement Raising of Baby Pigs." After graduation, he worked as a Livestock Extension Agent in eastern North Carolina. After two and a half years, he felt the need to return to Middle Tennessee to help his father on the farm. While helping his father on the farm, Bill taught Agriculture Education at Westmoreland High School for 16 years. He then decided to move to Watertown High School and taught for an additional fourteen years. In 1980, Bill married Cheryl Summers, the "redheaded city girl" that lived across the fence. They were married 40 years until cancer took her life. Even though Cheryl had been a "city girl" she was always a working partner on the farm. She took care of bottle feeding the orphan lambs and transported sheep to Vanderbilt Medical Hospital where they were used for medical research. Cheryl helped Bill’s father with the hog operation. She was very involved with the ewe flock during lambing season, often caring for the newborn lambs. She was also a fulltime housewife and mother while working on the farm. After retiring from teaching, Bill continued full-time on the farm. He raises purebred Poland China hogs that started with his grandfather in 1916. He continues to raise sheep which were used in medical research trying to find cures for such conditions as crib death and spina bifida. The family also produces lespedeza hay for horse owners. When his son, Andy, was in 4-H, the family started raising Golden Comet hens and selling brown eggs, Currently the flock numbers about 500 hens. Over the years, Bill has judged numerous swine shows as well as cattle and sheep shows.
