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 th eHigdon family. She had abook 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.
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, Coloinal 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. Lousiana) 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, 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 was Emmitt DeWitt Higdon, Jr. They lived in Lousiana.
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 research that Lucille Coone conducted in archives in Virginia and Maryland is 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.
If you have pictures or stories of your family or ancestors, please send them to the webmaster to publish on the web.
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