Posted: 2/5/03

World War II veteran Don Sivigny, 77, dies

Donald T. Sivigny, a Forest Lake native who was honored for military service during World War II, has died.

Sivigny, 77, died on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2003 at the Hillcrest Health Care Center in Rush City where he had lived the past 2‡ years.

Sivigny was born on Aug. 13, 1925 in Forest Lake and grew up on a farm near Forest Lake. He attended Forest Lake schools and entered the military service during World War II.

During the war, Sivigny served in the U.S. Army as a medium tank crewman. He received Bronze Stars for participating in Campaign Rhineland and Campaign Central Europe.

As a young man, Sivigny was involved with Golden Gloves boxing. He worked on the family farm and also started a plumbing business. He also owned a farm near Wyoming.

Sivigny later moved to Chisago City. In 1993 he moved to Pine City where he lived until 2‡ years ago when he became a resident of the Hillcrest Health Care Center.

A funeral service was Wednesday, Jan. 29 at Swanson Funeral Chapel in Pine City with the Rev. Xavier Thelakkatt presiding. Military rites were performed by the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad. Interment was at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

He is survived by two daughters, Donna (Stu) Clem, Pine City, and Sue (Tim) Mans, Hinckley; four sons, Bob (Rita) Sivigny, Dan Sivigny, Ron (Julie) Sivigny, all of Beroun, Randy (Jean) Sivigny, Pine City; 20 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren; one brother, Ray Sivigny, Forest Lake; and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Daisy Sivigny, sisters Margaret LaBelle and Lorraine Emerson; brother Leonard Sivigny, and sister-in-law Rita Sivigny.

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