by Evelyn Pyburn
Former Yellowstone County Commissioner and lifelong Billings businessman, James A. “Ziggy” Ziegler, died on Jan. 19 at age 89, following a battle with cancer.
Mention the name “Ziggy” in Billings and everyone knows who you are talking about – Ziggy left an enduring impression on the whole community.
He and his wife, Stella, were noted as restaurateurs and bakers. Ziggy died on their anniversary. Their most famed enterprise was Stella’s Kitchen and Bakery, which after 41 years they sold in 2019.
The Zieglers came to Billings in 1977 after purchasing the KOA campground. They had previously owned a KOA campground in Santa Margarite.
Ziggy was elected in 1990 as Yellowstone County commissioner and served for 12 years. Prior to that in 1986 he had been elected Yellowstone County Auditor.
The Zieglers started the Great Harvest Bakery in 1978, and later purchased the former Spaghetti Depot and Dinner Theatre, which became an Italian restaurant, they named Stella’s Place. In 1991 they decided to close the restaurant and focus on the bakery. In 1993 they left Great Harvest and founded Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery, which has become a fixture in Billings.
Ziggy was born on September 14, 1933, in Los Angeles, California, the son of John and Margaret Ziegler, and the youngest of three children.
Among his many civic interests Ziggy worked diligently to end the death penalty in Montana and provided support for prisoners, which included the freeing of Barry Beach who served 28 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
The Zieglers had five children– Judith (Morgan) McGrath of Armonk, NY; James, Jr. (Susan) of Laurel, MT; Jerome (Susanna) of Erie, CO; Joel (Donna) of Scottsdale, AZ and Red Lodge, MT; and Jacquelyn Ziegler of Independence, OR. They also have eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
