History & Staff

We have years of experience caring for families, from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession, dedicated to excellence in service, and have the highest integrity.

Our History

Jon & Theresa Wiggins

Funeral Director / Owners-

At Wiggins Funeral Homes, you can count on the compassionate, quality care your loved one deserves. The life of your loved one can be celebrated by a simple service or a service designed by you. We at the Wiggins Funeral Homes are ready to help carry out your family's wishes.  We are proud of the quality service, experience and personal attention we devote to every family.

Jon has nearly 40 years of experience in the funeral profession, and is a licensed funeral director, embalmer, and crematory operator. He has also assisted many families in selecting a permanent granite memorial for their loved one.  

Theresa is a retired middle school teacher.  She manages day-to-day administrative tasks and assists at the funeral homes, wherever she is needed.  They established Wiggins Funeral Homes in 2018 and are honored to serve your community.

Our Valued Staff

  • Cassandra “Cassie” Nugen

    Cassandra “Cassie” Nugen Managing Funeral Director, Embalmer and Crematory Operator

    Cassandra “Cassie” (Tracy) Nugen was born and raised in Salina, Kansas to Maury and Tammie Tracy. She graduated from Salina High School South and later graduated from Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2015 with a degree in Mortuary Science. Cassie has been a licensed funeral director, embalmer and crematory operator since 2016.After graduation, Cassie started working for a funeral home in eastern Kansas where she met Jon Wiggins. He became her mentor until he moved to purchase the funeral homes in central Kansas. In 2019, Cassie moved back to central Kansas where she began working for Jon.She married Garett “Dean” Nugen of Wellington in October of 2020. They live in Newton and have four dogs: Quill, Gamora, Stripe and Teddie. Cassie and Dean enjoy spending their time traveling, playing video games, visiting friends and family, and enjoying each other’s company.

  • Chad Mitchell

    Chad Mitchell Managing Funeral Director and Embalmer

    Chad is the son of Mike and Sharon Mitchell. He was born in Winfield, Kansas and moved to McPherson when he was 3 years old. Chad attended grade school, middle school and McPherson High School until 1988. Chad then attended and graduated from Young Memorial Technical Institute in Morgan City, Louisiana for underwater welding in 1992. After five years working in the Gulf of Mexico, he made a career change to mortuary science.Chad worked at a funeral home for 15 years prior to attending and graduating from Kansas City Community College, Kansas City, Kansas where he received his Associates Art’s Degree in Mortuary Science. He has returned home to McPherson to serve his community.Chad’s hobbies are hunting, fishing, scuba diving, skydiving, motorcycles, bbq’s and spending time with his friends and family. Chad’s son, Austin Mitchell attended and graduated from McPherson Senior High School in 2014. He then attended and graduated from Beloit Technical College in Beloit, Kansas in 2016 and is currently working and living in Marysville, Kansas with his wife Kelsey and their black labs, Ryker and Cletus.

  • Sara Ingrid Webster

    Sara Ingrid Webster Funeral Director

    Sara Ingrid Olson Webster, a fourth generation funeral director in the Olson family, grew up in Canton, Kansas where she graduated from Canton High school. She attended McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas with majors in business and music.In 1973 Ingrid received her funeral directors license, serving her apprenticeship under her father, Louis W. Olson. After his death in 1983, she, along with her sister Sonja Griffith, became owners of Olson's Mortuary in Canton. In 2004 they sold the business, but Ingrid remained as managing funeral director until the present day. Sonja recently retired from Glidden-Ediger Funeral Home in McPherson.Ingrid married John Webster in 1978 and they were the parents of a daughter, Kari Lou. John died in 2011. Kari graduated from Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas and received masters degrees from Baker University and Fort Hays State University. She is married to Seth Moddelmog and they have three daughters, Charlette, Claire and Blake. Kari is an elementary teacher and school counselor.Ingrid has served her church and the Canton community in many capacities throughout the years. Most of her adult life has been devoted to her profession as a funeral director. Her spare time is spent spoiling her three granddaughters and her dog, Gus.

  • Teresa Franz

    Teresa Franz Administrative Assistant

    Teresa Franz, a Hutchinson native, graduated from Hutchinson High School and Kansas State University.She has 3 children; Kelly, serving in the United States Army currently stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, along with his daughter, Jordyn, 15, Jenna, who passed away in 2001 at the age of 16 and Ross who lives and works in Seattle, WA.In 2007 she married Brad Franz, bringing her to Inman. He farms in the Inman/Buhler area. After substitute teaching for many years, she began working at a funeral home in Hutchinson. Later, she began working a bit closer to home at Buhler Mortuary as an Administrative Assistant and now handling administrative work for Wiggins Funeral Homes. Teresa enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her husband, children, granddaughter and her dog, Kobe (who gets to go to work with her almost every day) and her cat, Gabby.

  • Hayden Wiggins

    Hayden Wiggins Funeral Assistant

    Hayden Wiggins is the oldest of Jon and Theresa’s sons. He has recently joined the Wiggins Funeral Homes staff and is procuring his assistant funeral director’s license and will be helping with all facets at the funeral homes. Hayden is an avid New York Yankees fan and has a love for golf and taking scenic landscape pictures.

  • Duane Helms

    Duane Helms Funeral Home Assistant

    Duane Helms is a lifelong Moundridge resident. and has been employed by the City of Newton for 20 years as a fulltime firefighter/Paramedic. His wife, Melissa, and I have been married for 24 years. She teaches 2nd grade at Moundridge Elementary. They have two children, Kaela and Brady, who are students at Kansas State University. He enjoys family vacations, hanging out with family and friends, and attending sporting events. When he has time, he enjoys fishing.

  • Barry Powell

    Barry Powell Funeral and Visitation Specialist

    Barry was in the Petroleum Marketing Business for 34 years in Newton, Ks. Through the years he made lasting friendships with his customers throughout the Midwest region and surrounding communities.Barry married his high school sweetheart and best friend Debra Kaufman in 1973 and was blessed with two children Melanie and Ryan. Barry enjoys spending time with his children and grand children. Some of his favorite activities are relaxing at Table Rock Lake, golfing, and riding his Harley Davidson.Barry has never met a stranger and enjoys meeting and socializing with new people. Barry retired and moved back to McPherson, Kansas in 2017. Barry has worked in funeral service for 4 years with Glidden Ediger helping families with visitations and funeral services.

  • Keith Goering

    Keith Goering Funeral and Visitation Specialist

    H. Keith Goering grew up on a farm west of Moundridge. After high school, he earned his bachelor's degree at Kansas State University and then his master's and doctorate degrees at the University of Maryland in College Park. Keith and his wife, Judy (Krehbiel), lived in Laurel, Maryland, for 15 years while he worked as a research animal nutritionist for the USDA in nearby Beltsville, outside of Washington, D.C.In 1981, Keith and Judy moved their three children to Moundridge where he farmed and worked for The Citizens State Bank as a loan officer before retiring in 2012.He has been president of the Moundridge Chamber of Commerce, served on the Moundridge USD 423 school board for 8 years and was also active in the Moundridge Lions Club. Keith continues to farm and work part-time at the Wiggins Funeral Home. He and Judy have four grandchildren.

  • Ronald D Robben

    Ronald D Robben Funeral and Visitation Specialist

    Ron has been associated with Glidden-Ediger since 2013, following his retirement from Graber Ace Hardware. His favorite retirement activity is golf. Ron, and wife Jody, are the parents of three adult sons.

  • Gary Unruh

    Gary Unruh Funeral and Visitation Specialist

    Gary Unruh was born and raised on a farm in West Central Kansas. He graduated from Larned High School and Wichita State University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Gary spent nearly 35 years at Hesston Corporation (now AGCO) in the finance department, primarily cost accounting, and another six years at Bradbury Company as a cost analyst. He has been married to DeLonna Regier for 53 years. They have two sons. After retirement, Gary began working part-time at the Hesston Golf Course and at Wiggins Funeral Homes for the last eight years.

  • LeNora Duerksen

    LeNora Duerksen Funeral and Visitation Specialist

    LeNora Klassen grew up on a farm south of Goessel, married her High School sweetheart, Londell Duerksen, and together they raised three sons and one bonus nephew/son, following the early passing of her dear sister. LeNora excelled at cross country for the Bethel College Threshers, waitressed at the five star Old Mill restaurant in Newton and at the Goessel Barnstormers. Then she provided home care for people with Alzheimer's ALS, cancer, polio, and autism before the era of Hospice. She considered these duties sacred and involved her young children in the ministries, which was a great blessing to everyone.LeNora changed careers to postal clerk/carrier for great health benefits and perks joining her husband to work enthusiastically in order to send their sons to college, to purchase a ranch, build their dream log home with a pond and start raising grass fed Longhorn cattle. While still working for the USPS and continuing some evening pastoral ministries, she enrolled in a class led by Palmer Becker at Hesston College, which led her into a Chaplain Internship at Wesley Hospital. Communications in the ER with the various Wichita gang members while she was working there, sparked a new passion, which required her to earn the master of divinity degree from the Elkhart Indiana Anabaptist Biblical Mennonite seminary. After graduation in 2007, LeNora took a position with an Inman church to pastor the senior Saints while also serving half time as Sunshine Meadows Chaplain. A social worker position SSD became available in 2009, which gave her full-time work at Buhler SMRC until her recent retirement at the end of last year.Lenora continues to be a help-meet to her sweetheart on their longhorn ranch est. ‘99 and enjoys hosting gatherings at their log cabin home and country estate. Her special delights are entertaining her grandchildren, reading, and gardening while joyfully serving part time at Wiggins Funeral Homes.