Bigler, in the late 1920's moved to Albany, California where he resided with his sister, Iva. Bigler was introduced to Thelma Berry by his sister, Iva who had a friend that worked with Thelma at Wearever (a company that made pots and pans of aluminum). On 22 July 1929, Bigler's 24th birthday, at Reno, Nevada, he married Thelma Adeline Berry b 25 Apr 1904 at San Francisco, daughter of David Robert Berry and Eunice Margaret Griffith.
Bigler, after his marriage to Thelma, moved to Oakland, He spent entire days, during the depression, walking the entire area of Oakland searching for a job. He found employment as a sales clerk at the Maxwell Hardware Co. and worked there until the start of World War II. While working for Maxwell Hardware, Bigler went to night school and received his machinist certificate. In 1942, he went to work at Mare Island Shipyard as a ship-fitter in Vallejo, California. After the war, he moved back to Oakland and accepted employment at Laher Spring and Tire as a machinist. In the late 1940's he was employed by General Motors Corporation at their Chevrolet plant in East Oakland. He put his night school training to good use, becoming the highest ranked blue collar worker there. Bigler continued working there until his death in 1956 of a malignant brain tumor.
At an early age it became apparent that Bigler exhibited a great natural talent for playing the piano. A Catholic order of sisters offered to take Bigler and give him a full formal musical education, but his mother could not bear his being away from the family. He could not read a note of music, but played everything by ear. He loved to play and often did so at any gathering where there was a piano. His friends would say, "can you play this, Big?" and he would instantly oblige. Bigler was an avid reader of anything he could get his hands on and was a self taught man with a thirst for knowledge about all facets of life. He devoured the Readers Digest when it arrived each month and could hardly put it down until he had finished it. He often joked about his formal education saying that the High school he attended was his 3rd grade school that was on a high hill.
Bio by Bigler's daughter, Dolores Margaret Meek Clarke (written 1999)
Bigler, after his marriage to Thelma, moved to Oakland, He spent entire days, during the depression, walking the entire area of Oakland searching for a job. He found employment as a sales clerk at the Maxwell Hardware Co. and worked there until the start of World War II. While working for Maxwell Hardware, Bigler went to night school and received his machinist certificate. In 1942, he went to work at Mare Island Shipyard as a ship-fitter in Vallejo, California. After the war, he moved back to Oakland and accepted employment at Laher Spring and Tire as a machinist. In the late 1940's he was employed by General Motors Corporation at their Chevrolet plant in East Oakland. He put his night school training to good use, becoming the highest ranked blue collar worker there. Bigler continued working there until his death in 1956 of a malignant brain tumor.
At an early age it became apparent that Bigler exhibited a great natural talent for playing the piano. A Catholic order of sisters offered to take Bigler and give him a full formal musical education, but his mother could not bear his being away from the family. He could not read a note of music, but played everything by ear. He loved to play and often did so at any gathering where there was a piano. His friends would say, "can you play this, Big?" and he would instantly oblige. Bigler was an avid reader of anything he could get his hands on and was a self taught man with a thirst for knowledge about all facets of life. He devoured the Readers Digest when it arrived each month and could hardly put it down until he had finished it. He often joked about his formal education saying that the High school he attended was his 3rd grade school that was on a high hill.
Bio by Bigler's daughter, Dolores Margaret Meek Clarke (written 1999)
Bigler, in the late 1920's moved to Albany, California where he resided with his sister, Iva. Bigler was introduced to Thelma Berry by his sister, Iva who had a friend that worked with Thelma at Wearever (a company that made pots and pans of aluminum). On 22 July 1929, Bigler's 24th birthday, at Reno, Nevada, he married Thelma Adeline Berry b 25 Apr 1904 at San Francisco, daughter of David Robert Berry and Eunice Margaret Griffith.
Bigler, after his marriage to Thelma, moved to Oakland, He spent entire days, during the depression, walking the entire area of Oakland searching for a job. He found employment as a sales clerk at the Maxwell Hardware Co. and worked there until the start of World War II. While working for Maxwell Hardware, Bigler went to night school and received his machinist certificate. In 1942, he went to work at Mare Island Shipyard as a ship-fitter in Vallejo, California. After the war, he moved back to Oakland and accepted employment at Laher Spring and Tire as a machinist. In the late 1940's he was employed by General Motors Corporation at their Chevrolet plant in East Oakland. He put his night school training to good use, becoming the highest ranked blue collar worker there. Bigler continued working there until his death in 1956 of a malignant brain tumor.
At an early age it became apparent that Bigler exhibited a great natural talent for playing the piano. A Catholic order of sisters offered to take Bigler and give him a full formal musical education, but his mother could not bear his being away from the family. He could not read a note of music, but played everything by ear. He loved to play and often did so at any gathering where there was a piano. His friends would say, "can you play this, Big?" and he would instantly oblige. Bigler was an avid reader of anything he could get his hands on and was a self taught man with a thirst for knowledge about all facets of life. He devoured the Readers Digest when it arrived each month and could hardly put it down until he had finished it. He often joked about his formal education saying that the High school he attended was his 3rd grade school that was on a high hill.
Bio by Bigler's daughter, Dolores Margaret Meek Clarke (written 1999)
Bigler, after his marriage to Thelma, moved to Oakland, He spent entire days, during the depression, walking the entire area of Oakland searching for a job. He found employment as a sales clerk at the Maxwell Hardware Co. and worked there until the start of World War II. While working for Maxwell Hardware, Bigler went to night school and received his machinist certificate. In 1942, he went to work at Mare Island Shipyard as a ship-fitter in Vallejo, California. After the war, he moved back to Oakland and accepted employment at Laher Spring and Tire as a machinist. In the late 1940's he was employed by General Motors Corporation at their Chevrolet plant in East Oakland. He put his night school training to good use, becoming the highest ranked blue collar worker there. Bigler continued working there until his death in 1956 of a malignant brain tumor.
At an early age it became apparent that Bigler exhibited a great natural talent for playing the piano. A Catholic order of sisters offered to take Bigler and give him a full formal musical education, but his mother could not bear his being away from the family. He could not read a note of music, but played everything by ear. He loved to play and often did so at any gathering where there was a piano. His friends would say, "can you play this, Big?" and he would instantly oblige. Bigler was an avid reader of anything he could get his hands on and was a self taught man with a thirst for knowledge about all facets of life. He devoured the Readers Digest when it arrived each month and could hardly put it down until he had finished it. He often joked about his formal education saying that the High school he attended was his 3rd grade school that was on a high hill.
Bio by Bigler's daughter, Dolores Margaret Meek Clarke (written 1999)
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