Marvin Duggan

1935 - 2025

Marvin Duggan

August 6, 1935 - September 30, 2025

Marvin Duggan was born in Nemaha, Nebraska on August 6, 1935, to Leo and Beulah Duggan.

His family moved to Hagerman, Idaho in May 1937.

His father took his brother, sister and him to the fields to work while he was still in grade school, working 10 hours per day for several farmers in the Lucerne area for 60 cents per hour. A short time later Arnold Svancara came to Marvin and his sister and brother and said, "you guys are worth more than 60 cents" and raised their pay to 85 cents an hour. This taught Marvin very early in life the value of an honest hard day's work.

Marvin graduated from Hagerman High School in 1953 after which he worked for his uncle Howard farming his property. The following year Marvin accepted a job working for Arnold Svancara, whom he had worked for previously while still in school.

At that time Marvin's father, brother and he were milking a few cows by hand as they had done since he was six years old. Due to his father's poor health, Marvin decided to install a vacuum pump and start using surge pails that he purchased with his entire first paycheck. His father was able to see this new milking system used one time before he passed away December 1954 of a heart attack.

Marvin continued working for Arnold Svancara and then took on a job with Salmon Falls Sheep for two years. During this time his uncle Howard had quit farming and gave him an Oliver 70 tractor as well as a C Allis Chalmers that always took two of them to start it, one pulling and one cranking; what a tractor! However, this was his beginning into farming.

Marvin purchased a 40-acre farm on April 9, 1959, and his mother, younger brother and he moved to Buhl May 2, 1959, where his mother lived with him and he supported her until her death on May 10, 1994, and where he lived until the time of his passing. In 1963 he purchased an additional 10 acres to farm.

Marvin delivered his milk in 10-gallon milks cans to Pet Milk in Buhl until 1980. During this time, he led a 4-H group for several years of 28 kids consisting of all registered Jersey heifers. Marvin went to the bank and made arrangements for each child to borrow $100.00 to pay for their heifer, which he purchased from Jersey breeders all over the state for $100.00 each, then the heifers were numbered, and all the numbers were put into a hat, where each child randomly chose from for their animal. When the heifers were springers the kids' animals were sold and shipped to a dairy in Arizona where each animal made a greater profit than the beef animals were selling for at the fair.

When Marvin sold all of his milking herd and began raising replacement heifers, he traveled as far as Oregon and Washington to purchase Jersey heifers which he bred to AI sires to improve genetics within the Jersey breed.

He was a member of the American Jersey Cattle Association for more than 50 years and remained a member until the time of his passing.

Marvin became an agent doing genetic recovery work for the American Jersey Cattle Association and did that for several years to promote the Jersey breed. In addition, he rented 60 acres and eventually farmed 110 acres.

He was president of the Idaho State Jersey Association and attended more than 20 annual conventions all over the US. Marvin had also been to many of the All-American Jersey Show and Sales over the years.

He has sold many heifers in the Pot of Gold Youth Sale in which a portion of the proceeds goes to the highest 1st lactation winner.

In 1983 his sister and he purchased a small farm just up the street from his own, which they sold to his niece who got him started milking again. Going from milking three Jersey cows by hand in a small shed on her farm to milking five with surge pails to finally in 1984 fixing a small flat barn and installing a pipeline milker and 150-gallon bulk tank and expanding the herd to 25 head of registered Jersey cows shipping their milk to Avonmore Cheese Company and later Jerome Cheese Company.

Marvin and his niece became partners in this dairy, breeding all AI to only the top Jersey sires. They continued to raise springers and expanded the herd to 35 head at which time they were forced to switch to a 250-gallon bulk tank. They had been diligent to remain with DHIA testing to ensure their herd remains the best in the breed/ They were rated 3rd in the Nation in their herd size for production, type and genetics and in 2001 were awarded Jerome Cheese's quality milk award.

Marvin had always been an active part of the American Jersey Cattle Association on both the National and Local levels. He supported the American Jersey Cattle Association youth by consigning some of their top heifers to National Heifer Sales where 25% of the profits are used for youth. He loaned Jersey heifers to 4-H kids to show at local fairs as well as taking their own group of animals to Local and State fairs.

Marvin had two loves in his life; one we aren't allowed to talk about and the other is Marvin's best cow "Red Wing" which was his most marketable cow for 17 years, 7 months, and 19 days until the time of her death on April 9, 2012, with 132 direct female progeny (6 generations) owned by 16 different herds in 9 states. Four sons that went into AI including her grandson that was syndicated to the 2005 All American Jersey Sale.

In 2005 his niece sold her farm, so Marvin built a new flat barn on his farm down the road and once again moved the cows. He continued to milk his Jersey cows and raise all his own replacement heifers by himself, eventually milking 45 head and changing his barn to an elevated parallel 7. He shipped milk to Jerome Cheese for many years and stood 1st in cheese yield since he began shipping.

Marvin gives his father credit for the greatest gift he ever gave him - to have the value to work hard, be honest, and have respect for others. His life would not have been as fulfilled as it was if he had not always had the influence of his Jersey cows.

Marvin is preceded in death by his mother, Beulah, and his father, Leo, as well as his sister, Merna Lutz, and his brother, Fred Duggan.

Marvin is survived by his sister, Marge Sligar, of Kimberly, Idaho; his brother, Wyman (Pam) Duggan, of Quincy, Washington; many nieces and nephews; and many special friends that were like family.

A viewing will be held on Thursday, October 16, 2025 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at Wilks Magic Valley Funeral Home, 2551 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, October 17, 2025 at 11 a.m., at First Christian Church, 1005 Poplar Street, Buhl, Idaho 83316. A graveside will follow at 12 p.m., at West End Cemetery, 1574 East Elm Street, Buhl, Idaho 83316. A luncheon will follow at First Christian Church.

Arrangements are under the care of Wilks Magic Valley Funeral Home. www.magicvalleyfuneralhome.com