Lester Keith Wigen was a wheat farmer on his parents' farm in LaCrosse for 37 years. He passed away March 3, 2025, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where he had lived for the last 15 years. A memorial service will be Friday, March 21, at 11 a.m. at the Selbu Lutheran Church near LaCrosse. Pastor John Cross will officiate and an urn burial will be in the Selbu Cemetery.

Les was born in Colfax, Wash., on Sept. 19, 1936, to John and Esther Wigen. He attended LaCrosse grade school and high school at Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, where he graduated in 1955. He went to PLC in Tacoma and was elected sophomore class president. In 1958, Les transferred to Washington State College and graduated in June 1962. He was drafted into the U.S. Army under President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Nov. 9, 1958, and was honorably discharged Aug. 9, 1960.

He married Rosemary Burns of Pomeroy on Aug. 27, 1960. Together, they raised their four children on the farm near LaCrosse. They spent summer days on the Snake River boating and water skiing; Les also enjoyed snow skiing. Les was an avid fisherman and he really loved doing that. Later, he liked to follow his children and grandchildren in all of their school and sports activities. Les was a charter member of the JC’s in LaCrosse, a school board member, Conservation Farmer in Whitman County in 1984 and he was elected a Whitman County commissioner in 1994. He served in that role for 12 years. Some of his favorite accomplishments as county commissioner were getting the courthouse clock running again after 30 years, renaming River Road to Brayton Road and helping put together a historical map showing the Century 100-year farms on a map in the courthouse. Les was always very instrumental in the Save our Dams movement. In 1952, while playing in the Lewis and Clark High School Band, Les had the opportunity to shake hands with Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in Spokane when he was running for president. This was always a special moment for Les. Les was a member of the Washington Wheat Growers and was state membership chairman in the 1980s. He was also president of Selbu Lutheran Church in LaCrosse and held other offices, such as trustee and cemetery sexton, over the years. Another highlight of his life included a trip to the World Series in Milwaukee in 1958.

Rosie passed away in 2002 and after being alone for three years, Les met Kathy Davies of Odessa, Wash., and they married Nov. 19, 2005. They moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 2009. Les and Kathy loved to travel, and some of their trips included a very special one to Selbu, Norway, in 2007, and a trip to Whistler Mountain and Campbell River in B.C., where they brought home 75 pounds of fillet salmon. They also enjoyed New Orleans, a cruise to Mexico and a land trip to Cancun. Les was a reading helper for first graders in Dalton Gardens and Fernan Elementary School for six years. He loved his family and especially enjoyed watching his grandchildren in their sports and music activities.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy, at their home in Coeur d’Alene; children Dean (Donna) Wigen, LaCrosse, Leilani (Glen) Carpenter, Moscow, Idaho, Lesley (Paul) Price, Rainier, Wash., and Wendy (John) Hanes of Airway Heights, Wash.; by six grandchildren; Dirk, Jacob, Jason, Lane, Jacqueline and Valerie; and seven great-grandchildren; Rila Rose, Lauren Grace, Kenna Lynn, Granger Norman, Hadley Ray, Blakely Rose and Scarlet Mae; and siblings Phil Wigen of Santa Rosa, Calif., and Janet Wigen of Apache Junction, Ariz. In addition to his wife, Rosie, Les was preceded in death by a brother, Richard, a sister, Beverly Hyde, and his parents. 

The family suggests memorial gifts in his memory be to a veterans thrift store, Newby-ginnings of North Idaho, 570 Clearwater Loop A, Post Falls, ID 83854 or to the LaCrosse Scholarship Foundation; 111 Hill Ave., LaCrosse, WA 99143. Online guest book is at www.corbeillfuneralhomes.com. Corbeill Funeral Home in Colfax is caring for the family.