Danee Melody Wiggins passed away at her home in Salem, IL on Thanksgiving Day morning, November 25, 2021, at the age of 47 with her sister at her bedside. Danee was a long-time member of First Christian Church in Salem. She attended Salem Community High School and graduated from Kaskaskia College with an Associate of Applied Science degree on May 12, 1998, as a Respiratory Therapy Technician. She worked for several years in various area hospitals, then became employed by Crossroads Hospital in Mt. Vernon, IL where she worked for six years until her health took a turn for the worse. Danee had a beautiful voice and loved to sing. She loved laughing and always said it was good medicine for her soul. She thoroughly enjoyed road trips that she was able to take with family. Danee’s hobbies included reading and collecting pictures of her son and other children in the family and making scrapbooks for them. Most recently she took up playing board games routinely with her mom. Though disability was hard on the body and the pocketbook, Danee was an expert at financial budgeting with often little more than a few nickels left to rub together after paying the bills. No matter her situation, she always found a way to provide for her son, Dalyn, and would make certain his birthdays, holidays, and especially Christmas were always special for them. Danee loved and trusted in Jesus as her Lord and Savior and knew without hesitation where her eternity would be spent.
Celebration of Life services will be held on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Christian Church in Salem with Lance Schaubert and Phil Martin officiating. There will be a time that friends can visit with the family from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Crouse Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Memorials can be made to the First Christian Church and will be divided by the family between the Children’s Ministry and the Junior High/High School Ministry and can be left at the funeral home. Online condolences can be made on the funeral home’s website at www.CrouseFH.com or on the funeral homes Facebook page.
Danee is survived by her son Dalyn Jase Oplony, age 22, and her mother, Marilyn Wiggins. Additionally, Danee is survived by three older siblings: her two sisters: Dena (Wiggins) Kemp and husband Keith Kemp of Salem, IL, and Danette (Wiggins) Bolton and husband Mike Bolton of Maryville, IL, and a brother: Darren Wiggins of Salem. Survivors also include several beloved nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. These include Nephews: Lance and wife Tara (Balu) Schaubert of Brooklyn, New York; Heath and wife Ashley (Iffert) Schaubert of Salem, IL; and Brock Bolton and fiancée, Miranda Haeuber of Maryville, IL. Nieces: Courtney (Bolton) Wehking and husband Brett Wehking of Troy, IL and Lauren Schaubert of Salem, IL. Danee adored her great nieces and nephews: Arthur, Cooper, Cormick, Colter, Mallory, Miles, and Mason. Danee leaves behind two very close lifelong friends: Lori (Duncan) Holsapple of Salem and Crystal (Eller) Chrum, formerly of Salem, along with many friends from school at Selmaville and Salem High.
Danee was born on November 5, 1974, to G. Dean and Marilyn Marie (McCormick) Wiggins. She was preceded in death by her father, Dean, and a niece, Alexa Lynn (Lexi) Bolton.
