John Wesley Higgins

Two More Niobrara Pioneer Residents Die Past Week

Two more pioneer residents of Niobrara County have died during the past ten days. John W. Higgins, 68, of Lusk, died Friday, and James H. Williams, 83, of Northern Niobrara County died February 16.

Mr. Higgins, a resident of Lusk and vicinity for the past 22 years, died at the Spencer Hospital, February 22, from complications following major surgery.

The youngest of a family of eight children, John Wesley Higgins was born in Livingston County, Missouri, April 13, 1877. He was the son of Joseph and Evelyn Higgins and grew to manhood in the county where he was born. In 1898 he came to Omaha, Neb., and entered business college. Following the completion of his course, he was employed as salesman for a large wholesale hardware company in Sioux City, Iowa, which line of business he followed for seven years, then for the next eight years he was employed in the same city.

On June 12, 1909, he was married to Miss Ona V. Lowery at Chillicothe, Mo., and they have one son, Milton.

Mr. and Mrs. Higgins and son moved to Wyoming in September of 1924 and purchased the Harry Hargraves ranch, four miles southwest of Lusk, where the family located and operated a dairy until November of 1943, when they moved into town and purchased the Royal Apartments and the Higgins Apartments and have been residents of Lusk since that time.

His survivors are his wife and one son, Milton, and the latter's wife and two small sons; two brothers in Missouri, and one in Sioux City, Iowa; one sister in Missouri and one in Indiana.

His parents and two sisters have preceded him in death.

During his residence in Sioux City he served as an elder in the Presbyterian Church. After moving to Lusk he united with the Baptist Church, where he served faithfully as a deacon until the time of his death.

Funeral services were held from the Baptist Church on Monday afternoon at 2:30, with Rev. Ezra Duncan officiating.

Mrs. C. E. Marvin, Mrs. Ezra Duncan, Mrs. Emerson Bonner and Miss Justine Watson sang "The Haven of Rest" and "Abide With Me." Mrs. J. P. Watson was the accompanist.

The casket bearers were Arthur Grimes, J. P. Watson, Emerson Bonner, Idris Kilmer, C. E. Marvin and Jess Rice.

Interment was made in the Lusk Cemetery.

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