Milo Livingston Sigler
February 12, 1917 to June 16, 1999

Milo was born February 12th 1917 in Glidden Iowa.  A small town in Carroll County.  He had a big sister Marion just two years older, a brother John three years younger and a brother Elwin four years younger.  His Dad, Matson Sigler, was a farmer that was strong as an ox and would take on Mohamad Ali if given the chance and a couple drinks.  His Mom was the twenty year old Bertha Mae Livingston.  Not cut out for the farm life Mom moved on when Milo was very young.  Unable to care for Milo by himself, he put Milo on the Browns ranch working for his keep.  That’s the Browns on the left and Dad Matson on the right.  

Milo was known as a prankster.  Yeah he was the one that put the little girls pony tails in the ink well.  Not able to stay under the radar when he was young, he got in trouble quite a bit.  His worst infraction was when he and a couple school buddies waited in a tree for the girls to walk under the tree on their way home from school.  He was able to hit two of the three girls with his careful aim.  A hard valuable farm worker by the time he was ten, Milo learned everything about working the farm, most importantly about leaving the farm.  Although you could never take the farm out of him, he knew there was a better life waiting.  

At nineteen, he had saved a little bit money and off he went to find his Mom and siblings in southern California.  He spent a few years kicking around with his little brother and both joined up to fight for our Country when she was attacked by the Japanese.

Next to war on the USS PC-1192
· PC-461 class Submarine Chaser:
· Displacement: 280 tons
· Length: 173'8"
· Beam: 23'
· Draft: 10'10"
· Speed: 18 knots
· Armament: 1-2 3"/50
· Complement: 65
· Diesel engines
· Built at Consolidated Ship Building Corp., New York, and commissioned 26 November 1942
Turned over to the Maritime Commission 18 June 1948

Little brother Elwin did not make it home but Milo did.  He found love at 25 and married Genevieve Ann “Opal” Thompson in San Francisco California September 6, 1942.  It didn’t work out the first time, so they tried it again on October 31, 1954. After the Navy he tried his hand at business ownership.  The restaurant business was more than planned.  From Coos Bay Oregon as a land owner to Las Vegas he and Jenny traveled and enjoyed the good life.  Then he got a chance to work for Northrup Aircraft Company and found himself in Newfoundland.  Jenny hadn’t really planned a life of cold and they finally parted ways again.  Milo worked for years testing aircraft parts and pieces under severe conditions.  From Newfoundland to Greenland to Dow field in Maine where he found the perfect girl.

The auburn hair was more than he could handle, and to his great luck this beauty came with a little boy.  (Allright, a not such little boy) They started 1959 out a little busy.  They had a little boy named Farrell (Her Mom’s maiden name) and then off with Northrup to Wilmington California to work on new projects.  March 16 1960 they were blessed with a red headed (Just like Uncle Jr.) huge baby boy they named Matson (after grandpa Sigler) Matthew (after grandpa McClintock) Sigler.  The little guy never had a chance and passed away two days later.  A quick move to Waterford Connecticut and then to get away from the quick sand an even faster move to Uncasville Connecticut and then a little girl Leslie Lea on June 22, 1961.  

Milo was making marks fast and moving up the ladder.  Northrup got a huge contract award and they sent Milo to Vallejo California to work with two guys that were putting the office together on Mare Island.  It wasn’t long before the big guys left and Milo took care of everything after that.  Building the 600 class submarine project would last almost 10 years. And see another baby girl Roslyn Ann on October 28 1963.

The family would start the 70's in the move mode.  In an effort to keep his family together Milo would pack up the whole mess (and very heavy organ) and move the family to Bremerton Washington and then back to Vallejo California, and back to Bremerton Washington. (You get the point.)  Too many move stories to tell.  We could talk about moving two scotties and five puppy’s, getting lost in the fog of Ashland Oregon, or Kevin catching the T-bird on fire, but that’s for a different book.

By 1973 the Northrup project was winding down and Milo was re-assigned to Boston Massachusetts.  The kids were still in school so he thought he should keep them in school and go it alone till they got out.  Not the first time he tried to keep stability in the family.  He had two, year long, assignments in the 60's on Long Island.  This time it was different, his job wasn’t leading a group of 100 engineers, he was a courier of very fragile, very expensive parts.  Not the challenge he was used to and rather than move the family to the left coast, he retired to sunny California.

Boring, his retirement was short.  He applied for a job at Mare Island.  They saw the name and could not wait to get him.  He went to work for the electrical shop and became there head troubleshooter the first week.  Since he was retired he did not want any supervisor responsibilities, just go to work and go home.  Didn’t last long, they put him in a spot he could not refuse.  He had a small crew on swing shift just taking care of the problems the day shift would leave behind.  He retired again almost 20 years later.

This time he wasn’t going to sit around and retire for a week.  He went right to work on his own project.  It was a ten year project and the amount spent is classified.  At least the red head wasn’t supposed to find out.  Everybody thought he loved that 64 T-bird the damn kid tried to burn up.  Nothing compared to the effort that went into the Mach 1.  He could spend hours telling you everything about her.  The stock ‘69 is still in the care of the T-bird burner.

What’s to be said of Milo Sigler.  He started out life tough.  He made something of himself, without help from anybody.  A devoted family man with four proud kids and a bunch of grand kids.  Would give you the shirt off his back, but would fight to the death if you tried to take something from him.  (Ask the guy that just about cut off his arm.  He was still in the hospital when Milo went on his way.)  A protector (even when his Dad would pick fights with people larger than him)   Loyal to his family and Country.  A very proud American that wasn’t afraid to tell the big guys what he thought.  He was respected by everybody and made great pancakes.  He wouldn’t take anything from anybody, but would not hesitate to give you a five dollar bill out of his pocket.  As his younger cousin Elva told me, he was so cute, I just loved it when he would come over.  Or as Uncle Norman put it recently, “He was a good man”.

We’re not going to forget you anytime to soon Milo Sigler.  Thanks for everything Dad!

February 12, 1917 to June 16, 1999