September 13, 1913 – June 27, 2010
Married: Christine Waters - August, 1943
Son: Howard Riggan
Daughter: Nancy
Grandsons: Chad and Brett
Rufus H. Riggan was the only child of Rufe Elsie Riggan and Nancy Flowers Sullivan. The family lived in the Leeville Community. Rufus was educated in Wilson County, was on the basketball team at Mt. Juliet High School and graduated in 1937. He attended University of Tennessee where he graduated
with a degree in Animal Science in 1942.
After college, Rufus trained returning war veterans by holding night classes and traveling to farms to teach hands-on agricultural skills. While attending the University of Tennessee, he worked on a dairy farm which
provided him with room and board. During this time, he met his future wife, Christine Waters. Christine was raised in the Shop Springs community of Wilson County. She also graduated from University of Tennessee in 1942 and went on to become a Home Demonstration agent in Spring Hill, TN. Rufus made many visits to Spring Hill during this time. They married at the Bethel Church of in Shop Springs on August 27, 1942. They purchased the Denny property in the Leeville Community of Wilson County. She then began to teach at Mt. Juliet High School while Rufus began dairy farming in 1951 selling Grade A milk in cans, milking in a stanchion Barn.
In 1955 Rufus traveled to Wisconsin to look at a Herring-bone milk barn. He loved the idea and installed a Herring-bone milking parlor with 6 cows on each side. This was the first Herring-bone milk parlor ever built in Wilson County. Rufus continued milking and growing his business to 120 cows. He dispersed the milking herd in 1968 but continued to purchase and sell Holstein heifers. In the late eighties he continued with Charolais cattle that were known as "Registered Hickory Ridge Charolais". Rufus was always progressive in all he did. He was a County Commissioner (Magistrate) in the 60’s and 70’s. He helped start the parent-back club at Lebanon High School in 1964. He served on the Board of Wilson County Farm Bureau and was a member of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church. He was survived by his son, Howard and daughter Nancy, two grandsons. Chad and Brett and 5 great-grandchildren. Mr. Rufus H. Riggan passed away in 2010 at 93 years old. He was blessed with a long, productive life: well respected with many friends, and family who he loved dearly.
