jQuery Grid Plugin - jqGrid

Apologies if this was already posted, but I am unable to find the post...

Or how to deal with this correctly

I am saving user grid preferences and restoring the grid.  The last step is to perform a remapColumns so that it correctly displays the order of the saved columns based on user preferences.  This works fine, both the column headers and the column data are in the correct order and place.  

HOWEVER, what is wonky is the following.  Say I have three columns Name (width: 200), Id (width: 70), Alert (width 60)

Name   Id         Alert  ==>    after the remap are in this order  ==>      Id        Name   Alert  

As stated previous the reorder is fine and each column contains the correct data BUT what is happening is that the Id column-header now has a width = 200 (incorrect width), but the Id column-data width = 70 (correct width) and the Name column-header has a width = 70 (incorrect width) but the Name column-data width = 200 (correct width).  The Alert column is unaffected and is correctly sized width in both column-header has width = 60 (correct width) and column-data has width = 60 (correct width).

I saw in the documentation there was an updateColumns method that would have likely help me fix the issue.  

However as of jqGrid 3.8 it is deprecated.  We are using jqGrid version 4.4/4.5.  Where can I find jqGrid source code 3.7 so I can take a look at this method and possibly use it and/or how in the world can I fix this maddening issue using the current version of the software?

Hopefully this description is clear. My office blocks access to sites like pastebin otherwise I would post a clear visual of the issue.