Bertha E. Wigton
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Bertha E. Wigton 86 of Terrace Park, OH died at Aurora Medical Center in Burlington, WI on January 4, 2021. Bertha was born on November 19, 1934 in Cleveland, OH; daughter of the late Isadore and Monica (Kadelski) Samas. She graduated Shaker Heights High School, Shaker Heights, OH in 1952 where she excelled in field hockey, and was active in the student council as well as other sports.
She attended Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, graduating with a BS in Psychology in 1956. While at Allegheny she served as President of her Sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was a member of the Senior Court (the judicial body of women's government), the Lambda Sigma Society, a national honor society dedicated to the purpose of fostering leadership, scholarship, fellowship, and service, and served as a Junior Advisor. She was also active in the Student Council, and was named May Queen in 1956. It was at Allegheny that she met her future husband, Richard P. (Red) Wigton of Fairview, PA.
Bertha and Red were wed in Cleveland, OH on December 29, 1956. They initially lived in Harlingen, TX, then Oscoda, MI while Red served in the Air Force. They moved to Terrace Park, OH in 1966, and lived in the same house on Floral Avenue for 54 years. She loved gardening and decorating her home. She served as a den mother for the local Cub Scout group and did many hours of volunteering at the Cincinnati Zoo and Cincinnati Natural Center. She learned to play tennis and loved to play bridge. For years she worked at the former Yankee Dollar on Wooster Pike where her favorite job was the periodic buying trip to the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Later she volunteered for many years at Legacies in Hyde Park, whose mission is to support the Cancer Support Community of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She loved attending mass at the Friarhurst Retreat Center in Cincinnati until the time of its closing.
Aside from her husband of 64 years, her greatest love were animals, of all shapes and sizes. She routinely rescued abandoned squirrels and chipmunks, nursing them back to health and releasing them in her backyard, where most stayed. She had numerous dogs in her life, and an open door policy for any neighborhood dog who wandered by for a treat and a warm place to sleep. She is remembered by many as a warm and welcoming woman who showed love and compassion to every living thing.
Bertha is preceded in death by her parents; siblings; Algrid Samas, and Ernie Samas; and a still born son Tim. She is survived by her husband; son Dr. Tom (Dr. Mary Ames) Wigton of Elkhorn, WI; sister Joanne Hauck of Cleveland, OH; and granddaughter, Lauren Wigton of Indianapolis, IN; and her beloved Pembroke Corgi, Delilah.
A formal service will take place at a later time, and Bertha's Cremains will be laid to rest at All Souls Cemetery in Chardon, OH. In lieu of flowers, memorials made be made to the SPCA Cincinnati (spcacincinnati.org) or the Cancer Support Community (mycancersupportcommunity.org).
Online guestbook can be found at www.haaselockwoodfhs.com.