David W. Briggs age 76, passed away Thursday, November 5th, 2015 at Box Butte General Hospital.
He was born to Vera (Cooksey) and Bernard Briggs on August 6th, 1939 at St Joseph hospital in Alliance. On May 29th, 1959 he was united in marriage to Phyllis Ginn, whom he spent 56 years together with on this Earth and raised 3 children.
Dave graduated from Alliance High school in 1957. He was active in FFA, played football, and joined the Nebraska National Guard in February of 1956. After graduating from Alliance High he attended college at Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad Colorado. He graduated in 1959 with an Associate Degree in applied science majoring in gunsmithing; he continued gunsmithing for the majority of his life. After graduating he and his wife took over the family ranch north of Antioch NE. In 1960 he began officer candidate school for the Nebraska Army National Guard; obligations back on the family ranch prolonged his graduation. He continued his National Guard service while managing the ranch and in 1969 he became the Battery Commander of the Gering NE, Unit 106 Field Artillery. He was discharged from the Nebraska National Guard in 1976.
Dave also accomplished a life long dream of becoming a pilot. He took his first lesson on Sept 13th, 1974 and continued to fly until late 1979 when a medical condition forced him to stop. Dave’s joy of gunsmithing continued throughout his years, he was an avid hunter and fisherman and was a frequent exhibitor at the Alliance gun show, where he and his big red lab, Tobassco, were known by most. Throughout his years Dave had a menagerie of animals, from flying squirrels as a teenager to the more common dogs and cats. This also led to the adventure of owning his own commercial fishery which he reluctantly closed in 1994. In later years Dave enjoyed feeding his koi fish on a quiet evening.
He is survived by his wife, Phyllis, his son Barrett (Deb) Briggs of Monroe, WI, his son Jon Briggs of Cheyenne, WY, and his daughter Kim Briggs of Bellevue, NE. He is also survived by his brothers, Donald (Shirley) Briggs of Curtis, NE and Robert (Pam) Briggs of Harrisonburg, VA, 7 grandchildren, and 8 great-grand children.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his daughter-in-law, Bernadine (Boness) Briggs.
Memorial services will be held Thursday, November 12, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at the Alliance Berean Church with Pastor Glenn Johnson officiating. Inurnment will be at the Alliance Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent in care of the family at 2271 396th TRL, Alliance, NE 69301.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com with Bates-Gould Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.