Pete Bernardo Bidegain

b. August 18, 1918 Flagstaff, Arizona
d. December 11, 2007 Tucson Arizona

 Pete was the son of Bernardo Bidegain from France and Jesusa Duvignau from Spain, both of Basque heritage. He was born in Flagstaff and was raised on his father's ranches in the Willcox and Benson areas. He attended college and then joined the U.S. Navy.

 Pete's first wife, Mary, contracted polio when he was working for the U.S. Government in Mexico City. Despite immediately returning to a hospital in Tucson, Mary passed away. Pete and his daughter Page moved to Casa Grande to live with Mary's parents.

 About the same time Clorene, her husband, and daughter Brenda were living in occupied Japan where her husband had served on a U.S. Navy vessel. The ship caught fire at sea and he was lost. Clorene and Brenda went back to Arizona and moved in with Clorene's family in Casa Grande.

 Pete and Clorene met in Casa Grande and eloped when Brenda was seven and Page was five. The following year Cathy was born, followed by Peter and Todd.The Bidegains moved to the Babacomari Ranch in Elgin in 1961 when the youngest, Todd, was three. Pete managed that ranch for years. He later started a second career as a real estate agent in his 'golden' years. He loved ranching and country living.

Written by Linda Roslund and Corbin Smith with
contributions from Pete Bidegain and Betty Barr

Click below to return to:
History
A-D
E-H
I-P
Q-Z

SCS 8/19/24