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Obituary for Stella Coggins Higdon
Stella Coggins Higdon, 86, of Franklin, passed away Sunday, May 13, 2012.
Born in Jackson County, she was the daughter of the late Alex Coggins and Annie Bennett Coggins. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Sam Higdon who died in 1997; son, Ronnie Higdon; infant son, Lonnie Higdon; sisters, Pearl Higdon, Grace Rogers Knecht and Bessie Stiwinter and brothers, Eldon Coggins and Everett Coggins. Stella was a member of Higdonville Baptist Church. She enjoyed sewing, quilting and gardening.
She is survived by a son, Denton Higdon and wife Myra of Franklin; one sister, Rose Rogers of Franklin; one brother, Ellis Coggins of Goodrich, Michigan; daughter-in-law, Martha Higdon of Arlington, Tenn.; five grandchildren; eight great grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. The family would like to send a special thank-you to Fidelia Eckerd Nursing Home and Dr. Lindsay.
Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 15, at Higdonville Baptist Church. Rev. Mack Hutson will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the service.
Pallbearers will be Todd Higdon, Travis Higdon, Tanner Higdon, Rodney Higdon, Ryan Higdon and Randy Higdon.
Memorial donations can be made to the Higdonville Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, C/O Harold Rayborn, 1459 Cat Creek Rd, Franklin, NC 28734
Macon Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Online condolences can be made at maconfuneralhome.com
Make Plans to Come to St. Augustine, Florida Oct. 4-7, 2012
By Frances H. Smith, HFA President
Get out your walking shoes, golf clubs, swimsuits- St. Augustine, here we come! Our accommodations will be at the Holiday Inn and Suites Historical District. The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, full service cafe with room service available, a business center, a fitness center, and guest laundry facility. Each guest room has a coffee pot, mini-fridge, microwave, iron, and ironing board. We will have the Flagler Room open each day for hospitality, scrapbook displays, meetings, and Saturday night banquet. Group room rate is $99 for a standard room. Breakfast is not included but is available in the hotel's cafe. Information for hotel registration will be in the next newsletter (July).
St. Augustine is one hour drive south of Jacksonville International Airport. If you plan to fly and not rent a car, please let us know and we will try to arrange transportation.
The hotel is located on the north end of the downtown area. We will be within walking distance to the Fountain of Youth. Other attractions are easily accessed via ambitious walkers, sightseeing trolley, or personal car.
The Dow Museum of Historic Houses, the Oldest House, the Oldest Wooden School House, and the Oldest Store are all must-sees. The Lightner Museum (formerly the Alcazar Hotel) is a beautiful historic building as well as home to "Florida's Smithsonian." Flagler College, the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, offers tours daily.
You can climb to the top of St. Augustine Lighthouse and explore the history of the oldest port established in 1565. The Pirate and Treasure Museum is another exciting attraction with interactive adventure.
Excellent shopping is abundant in the area. Old Town St. Augustine is known for quaint shops, antiques, and art galleries. Informed shoppers will recognize Premium Outlets, housing 85 designer and name-brand stores, and Prime Outlets with 75 name-brand stores.
These two outlets centers are conveniently located on either side of I-95.
The World Golf Hall of Fame and IMAX Theater at World Golf Village are also located on I-95. The Golf Museum contains traditional and interactive exhibits. Golfers can find plenty to do in the St. Augustine area.
Anastasia State Park has a dune trail, 4 miles of pristine beach. Ranger-led eco tours are well worth the visit. Vilano Beach Fishing Pier is the place to go to fish or stroll. Beach goers may sift the coquina sand to look for sharks’ teeth.
Be aware that many of the attractions charge admission. However, much can be seen and done without charge. Although St. Augustine is a vacation destination, it is a beautiful venue for our annual get-together. Plan to spend time with family and friends as we celebrate the 37th meeting of The Higdon Family Association.
Reprinted from the Higdon Family Association Newsletter May 2012
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Information Requested
Hello, My name is Melecie Higdon . I began trying to do research on my family tree about six months ago. I would like to learn as much as possible about surname origin and past ancestors. I plan on applying for membership to your association. I request permission to print some website info just for my personal reference while doing internet searches and going onto ancestry websites/forums. I have no plans to reproduce and use materials for any other purpose. I would appreciate your blessing if possible in this matter.I will mail application with membership fee this week. I was born and raised in Louisiana and my family is still there. I have maternal/paternal names of some ancestors and some dates of birth and death. My father is Rodney James Higdon of Krotz Springs, La. My Grandfather's name was Patson Higdon. My dad also has 3 siblings.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Melecie G. Higdon- weyekin01@embarqmail.com
Email Request to the Newsletter Editor
In a March 25 e-mail, Deborah Kaye Higdon wrote, "I have been browsing your higdonfamily.org site and would like to know how to discover/contribute information. My father was Emmitt Dewitt Higdon Jr. He was born April 4, 1923 in Louisiana, retired from the Navy in 1964. My mother was Nettie Mae Cheek Higdon. My aunt, Kathleen Higdon Pittman, was at one time involved in researching the Higdon family. She had a book that was Colonial Higdons and Descendants but I do not see how we fall into the lines. I have never done any research and really don't know where to start. My father's siblings were Kathleen Higdon Pittman, Virginia Higdon Stovall, Robbye Higdon Magliocca, Gene Higdon, and Danny Higdon. I would appreciate any information you can share.
Thank you,
Debbie." (higdon.deborah@yahoo.com)
Reply from the Newsletter editor:
I found information about Debbie's family in Higdon-Whitaker, by Bettina Pearson Higdon (Cullman, Alabama, March 11, 1982). Bettina was a member of the Higdon Family Association and attended meetings when she was collecting material for her book, a copy of which is in the HFA library. On page 144, Bettina lists the family of Robert Daniel Higdon (b. 1815 in North Carolina), who married Lettie Mae Hearn and died about 1891 in Simsboro, Louisiana. Their oldest son, Thomas Hastings Higdon, was born 22 Dec. 1836 in Muscogee, Georgia, and married Elizabeth Williams.
The book that Debbie mentions above, Colonial Higdons and Some of Their Descendants, is by Lucille B. Coone (1976, rev. 1978) and was also one of Bettina's sources. Coone links Robert Daniel Higdon (b. 1815-d. Louisiana) to his father, Daniel Higdon (b. Chatham County, NC 1 Aug 1755 - d. Columbus, GA 1 Dec 1846), and all the way back to the Daniel Higdon who died before 1715 in Prince George County, Virginia. This Daniel Higdon's son, Daniel Higdon, Jr., made a will on14 July 1733 in Prince George County, Virginia, according to the chart on p. 2. (Lucille B. Coone's book is also in the HFA library.)
In Bettina Higdon’s book, pp. 168-169, are listed the children of Thomas Hasting[s] and Elizabeth Williams Higdon. One of their children was Thomas Warren Higdon (b. 4 Apr 1869- d. 14 Apr. 1937), who married Daisy Pugh. One of their sons, Emmitt DeWitt Higdon (b. 23 Mar 1898-d. May 1959), was the grandfather of Deborah Kaye Higdon, whose father was Emmitt Dewitt Higdon, Jr. They lived in Louisiana.
Given these clues, Debbie can check their accuracy by looking at Census records over the years and noting family groupings and places of residence. With such Internet sources as Ancestry.com to consult, many questions about ancestors can be answered, but the research that Lucille Coone conducted in archives in Virginia and Maryland is invaluable, since she found references to Higdons in the many court records that are still not to be found on the Internet.
If any of you HFA members are more closely related to Debbie than I am, please get in touch with her at higdon.deborah@yahoo.com.
HFA 2011 ANNUAL MEETING
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Higdons walking to Restaurant for Dinner
Daddy Jacks Restaurant for Seafood Dinner
Clockwise from the bottom: Nancy Higdon, Charles P. Higdon,
Janice J. Higdon, Eva Wood, Barbara Tedford, Barbara Higdon,
and Merdith Woods, eating at Daddy Jacks Seafood Restaurant
in Sundance Square District
L-R: Carolyn Cole, Treasurer; Martha Tidwell, President;
Janice M. Higdon, Secretary
Members listening to Randy Cole speak to the membership
Higdons enjoying the banquet
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The historic Blackstone Hotel-Courtyard by Marriot, in the heart of downtown Fort Worth was the site of the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Higdon Family Association.
Higdons from 6 different states. The Higdons converged on Thursday, Friiday, and Saturday to mingled, sightsee, talk family and, of course, eat.
On Thursday, the early bird arrivals took a tour of the Sid Richardson Museum where they saw one of the best of collections of Western art in America. Artists such as Fredric Remington, Charles Russel and others were part of the fabulous representation of life in the American West in the 1870s. The tour was followed with lunch in one of the serveral restaurants that are located in the downtown Sundance Square area. After lunch, a group caught a ride on the Molly Trolley to go see the exhibition "150 Years of Fort Worth History Exhibition," at the Fort Worth Museum.
Friday saw more Higdons arriving for the annual meeting, while those who had already arrived did some more sightseeing. The Amon Carter Museum plus other museums located in the Cultural Arts District provided the tour group with some pretty fabulous art work and artifacts to observe. The museum restaurant provided a wonderful meal with art visible all around you. The various family groups split up to go to Dinner at a variety of restaurants located within the Sundance Square. DaddyJacks was a good seafood restaurant that provided some lip smacking good taste with stuffed shrimp and crab.
Saturday started with breakfast with some of the Higdons in the Blackstone restaurant, while a few crossed the street for diner food. The Annual Meeting was on the 4th floor in a meeting room with good attendence by those registered. President Martha Tidwell conducted the meeting, with help from Janice M. Higdon, secretary and Carolyn Cole. treasurer. The minutes for last year's meeting were read and approved and then business of new officers and scholarship committee were addressed. Eugene Smith, of Kentucky, showed that new scrapbook that was partially completed. Once the business was completed, adjournment was called. This provided time for lunch and some more sightseeing via the Molly Trolley at the Stockyards. Eva and Meredith Woods, along with a few others took the Molly Trolley in time to watch the longhorn drive down the street to the stockyards. They enjoyed it so much. The Banquet was at the Cattleman's Restaurant in the Stockyards District and the food was quite enjoyable. Our Speaker told about Cynthia Ann Parker, a white woman captured by the Comanche and her son Quanah Parker the last Comanche chief. It was an interesting aspect of the Texas frontier life of the 1870s and 80s. The most startling outcome of the evening was the rain that started about 10:00 pm.
Eugene Smith sent the following comment:
Hi Janice,
I hope you had a safe trip back to San Antonio from the Fort Worth meeting. I think this was a very enjoyable meeting for everyone. Georgetta and I enjoyed everything on the schedule, plus especially one other thing. During the return of our downtown tour ride on Molly the Trolley, the driver pointed out to us the Hilton Hotel. This was where J. F. Kennedy spent his last night before the fateful day in Dallas November 22, 1963. We later walked back the two blocks or so from the Blackstone Hotel to the Hilton site. There were several items of interest there. They are planning a statue of Kennedy to be dedicated in 2012.
We will see you in St. Augustine next year.
Sincerely, Eugene
Please send in any pictures you have of the 2011 Meeting or any story about your experience at the meeting.
DON'T FORGET THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR YOUR DONATION TO HONOR SOMEONE'S BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY, OR OTHER TIME OF CELEBRATION!
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Grady and Grandpa, 1942
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116th Maj. William Huffman Higdon Reunion Request
Jyana Higdon Smith was given the attached picture at the Maj. William Huffman Higdon Reunion yesterday. It is of her father, Grady Higdon, age 6 and Grandpa, age 91 taken in 1942. the delimma is of who Grandpa is. Grady's grandpa Higdon died in 1919, this gentleman looks like the Higdons and the picture belonged to a distant Higdon cousin. It is believed that it may be the grandfather of whoever the picture belonged. Susie Feigley gave Jyana the picture. Susie's mother was Ivy Higdon and her grandfather was Jim Higdon.
- It is known that Grady Higdon was born in Marion Co, TN May 15, 1935
- and died October 28, 1993.
- The location of the picture is unknown,
- but assumed to be in Tenneessee,
- since Grady Higdon never traveled outside of Tennessee until his late teens.
- Grady's dad was John Higdon 1906-1971
- and his grandfather was Robert Higdon (1841-1919).
Jyana has tried looking for any relative who would have been 91 in 1942, but has been unsuccessful. She is looking for any information any one can provide.
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The 116th Maj. William Huffman "Hoffman" Higdon Reunion of Sept. 11, 2011 has come and gone.
The crowds are getting smaller every year. We are on the average losing ten people a year in attendants "absentees". As my daddy would say, "They wasn't enough there to cuss a cat!". This year we had approximately 29 people sign the registry about half were from out of town.
During the family business meeting Denton Higdon brought up for discussion the poor attendance at this years reunion. The idea of ending the 116 year old gathering was suggested upon which most agreed too. It was also suggested we try one more year by boosting mailing list and media coverage.
So, in short, next years Reunion doesn't look promising at all.
The Oldest attending was Eva Higdon Wood from Andrews, NC. Eva would be the great granddaughter of the Majors.
The Youngest attending was twins girls Alexa and Alyssa Higdon daughters of Denver and Alicia Higdon from Higdonville, NC. The twins would be the great-great-great granddaughter's of the Majors.
The Furthest Traveled was Hillis and Shirley Sluder Cunliffe from Montgomery, Al. Shirley is the daughter of Richard and June Higdon Sluder of Asheville, NC. Shirley would be the great-great granddaughter of the Majors.
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Eva Wood, Oldest at the Reunion
Alexa and Alyssa Higdon, Youngest at the Reunion
Hillis & Shirley Cunliffe, Furthest Traveled at the Reunion
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