Marjorie Ione Higgins

Marjorie Ione Higgins passed away April 7, 2006 at her home in Troy. She was born April 2, 1923 in Kenmare, N.D., the daughter of Engvald Bernard Beck and Ella May Bennett.

Marge was raised in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan before moving to Havre, Montana. She married Roy Higgins in 1938. They lived in Havre and Great Falls until 1946 when they moved to Bigfork. In 1978 they built a home on Loon Lake and lived there until moving to Troy in 1997. Roy and Marge Higgins were generous hosts, constantly welcoming and entertaining guests at their Loon Lake home.

She started working for the post office in Bigfork in 1957 and became the acting postmaster in Bigfork in 1970. She became one of the few female postmasters in Somers in 1972 and retired from that position in 1984. She was adamant about being called the postmaster not the postmistress. When asked about it, her comment was "I'm not the postmistress. I'm nobody's mistress."

Marge was a member of the Rebekahs for 51 years, joining in 1955. As an officer, she negotiated with Bo and Marjorie Brown to bring the Bigfork Playhouse to the Rebekah Hall in Bigfork. Without her effort, it may have very well been known as the Cut Bank Playhouse. She was very community minded. She was involved in Cub Scouts, served as a Ferndale school volunteer, the Flathead Tax Appeal Board Secretary and for many other organizations.

She was very passionate about her hobbies. She started collecting coins and stamps in the early 1950s and had an extensive collection of both. She traced her genealogy back to King William the First of Holland and Edward Higgins, born Sept. 7, 1545. She was a member of the Huegenot Society. She took up oil painting in the 1960s and her paintings are on the walls of many homes nationwide. Her favorite painting was a picture of the town of Somers looking out across the lake. She was very proficient at knitting and crocheting but her real passion was making quilts. In her lifetime she quilted 213 full size quilts and hundreds of baby quilts and wall hangings. She was also a voracious reader sometimes reading up to a book a day including every title by Nora Roberts and J. D. Robb.

The true lights of her life, however, were her great grandchildren. Kaylee with her mischievous grin and fabulous artwork, the rambunctious Joseph with his never-ending quest for new adventures, Sammi with her frequent visitations and love of cookies, Brady with his loving concern and mature quiet ways and Sienna, born March 11, 2006, who she never held but loved dearly.

She was preceded in death by her parents E.B. and Ella, husband Roy Higgins, infant daughter Barbara, brother Bud Beck of Polson, sisters Inez Lee of Missoula, Millie Kuka of Havre, and Betty Nail of Kennewick, Wash.

Survivors include one son, Ron Higgins, Troy; grandchildren Heidi Kay Williams and husband, Wayne, of Edmonds, Wash., and children Kaylee and Joseph; Jeremy Higgins and wife, Yan, of Tracy, Calif., and daughter Sienna; Shannen Rohrich and husband, Treves, Troy, and children Brady, Jordan and Sammi; and Kristen Hutchison and husband, Tony, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and daughter Courtney.

Marge is also survived by many friends and relatives including sister Doris Brendgard, Pasadena, Calif.; sister-in-law Ruth Springer, Havre; sister and brother-in-law Julia and Vern Larson, Havre; Bobbi and Larry Bowman, Troy; Con Lee, Libby; Gary and Betty Lee, Bigfork; Mike Lee, Libby; Mary Lee, Polson; Jan and Bob Thomson, Great Falls; and Myrni and Ken Daley, Somers.

Nelson and Vial Funeral Home in Libby is in charge of arrangements. A memorial service was held April 13, at the Christ Lutheran Church in Libby.

The family suggests memorials be made to Kootenai Senior Citizens Center, Box 74, Troy, MT 59935 or St. John's Hospice, 350 Louisiana Avenue, Libby, MT 59923.