in memoriam

expanded eulogies

Jerry Higgins

Jerry Higgins passed away April 6 in Marion.

Jerry was always proud that he lived his entire life in (or very near to) Marion County. He traveled the world and saw many exciting places and had wonderful adventures but to Jerry, Marion really was the best place he’d seen.

Jerry was a planner and organizer and liked things to be done a little bit different, and his way, so he had prepared his own obituary and in his words he would like to share …

“William Gerald (Jerry) Higgins lived most of his life near two Kansas streams, Doyle Creek and the Cottonwood. From the beginning on Feb. 14, 1927, to the end, Life Was Good.

His first 17 years happened by Doyle Creek. After graduating from Peabody High School in 1944, he served for two years in the United States Navy. The G.I. Bill made it easy to attend Kansas University, where an interest in chemistry led to his graduating as a pharmacist in 1951.

He met Helen Hett in his dad’s Rexall drug store in Peabody that summer, and they married in September. They lived in Wichita and Valley Center where Helen was the high school home economics teacher.

In 1956, they brought their son, John, to Marion when they bought the Marion Rexall Pharmacy. Daughters Ann and Susan completed their family. The following years with family and friends went fast. Life Was Good!

The fast life slowed when they sold the pharmacy in 1974. Jerry and Helen enjoyed living in Marion as their nest emptied. Six grandchildren arrived, filling the extended family nests.

Not being tied to a drug store made travel easier. Two of their many adventures were golfing in Scotland and a week of white water rafting through the Grand Canyon. Life Was Good!

John, Ann, and Susan were all living their own good lives. Everything seemed to be going well until Helen’s death in 1994.

By 2001, he felt it was time to not renew his pharmacy license, bringing 50 years as a pharmacist to a close.

Then another tragic event occurred when cancer caused Ann’s death in 2001.

His urge to travel continued. With his companion, Lynne Watts, he toured and cruised for almost 20 years. They enjoyed places like Africa and Tahiti. It was great to see different parts of the world, but also gratifying to return to the valley of the Cottonwood.

There were many fond memories of the whole family from a great-grandmother to the amazing great-grandchildren. Being part of seven generations was fulfilling.

His life was but a brief moment in eternity, but life to Jerry Higgins seemed like a long and winding road, and Life Was Good!”