Shelby County Reporter 08/20/2003 GLORIA FRANCES HIGGINBOTHAM (1925-2003) AL Southcrest Baptist member Gloria Frances Higginbotham of Bessemer died Aug. 9, 2003. She was a member of Southcrest Baptist Church. She is survived by her daughter, Terri (Steve) Hartsfield of Birmingham; two grandchildren, Dylan and Cale McSweeney of Birmingham; and two sisters, Jean Heard of Palmerdale and Montriel Pitts of Birmingham. Service was Aug. 11 at Southern Heritage Chapel, the Rev. Scott Bush presiding. Burial followed in the adjoining cemetery, Ridout's Southern Heritage Funeral Home directing. Selma Time-Journal Thursday, July 29, 2004 Flora Higginbotham Nichols (ca1935-2005) AL Flora Nichols, 69, of Selma, died Wednesday, July 28, 2004, at her home. Services are at 2 p.m. Friday, July 30, at the Chapel of Lawrence Funeral Home with the Rev. Tommy Fancher officiating. Burial will follow in New Live Oak Cemetery with Lawrence Funeral Home directing. Survivors include a devoted companion, Ricky Moore; sons, Phillip (Brenda) Higginbotham, Ben (Aleyda) Higginbotham and Randy (Gayle) Higginbotham; daughter, Debra (James) Smith; 15 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Active pallbearers are Butch Huffman, David Rinehart, Micky Patterson, Bob Cook, Pete Nichols and Roger Nichols. Family visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, at the funeral home. The Gadsden Times Published December 6, 2005 Bonnie Higginbotham Turner (1921-2005) AL Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Collier-Butler Funeral Chapel for Bonnie Higginbotham Turner, 84, Gadsden, who passed away Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005. The Rev. Bob Payne will officiate. Entombment will be in Forrest Cemetery. Collier-Butler Funeral Home & Cremation Service directing. Mrs. Turner was a native and lifelong resident of Gadsden. She was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Forrest Avenue, a member of the Mt. Laurel Garden Club and an American Red Cross volunteer for many years. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Irvin Turner; and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.B. Higginbotham. Mrs. Turner was a loving wife, mother, sister and a great Nana. She is survived by her son, Bill (Teresa) Turner; grandchildren, Meghan and Jimmy Turner; brothers, Robert C. (Avis) Higginbotham, Austin, Texas, and Walter C. Higginbotham; sisters, Jimmie Farrington and Frances Higginbotham; nephews, Robert Farrington and Robert Higginbotham Jr.; nieces, Sandra Nichols and Ruthie Wilson; three great-nieces; and a great- nephew. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Cherokee County Herald 12/05/05 REV. JOE C. HIGGINBOTHAM (1929-2005) AL The Rev. Joe C. Higginbotham, of Centre, passed away Thursday, Dec. 1, following a brief illness. Perry Funeral Home had charge of the arrangements. Rev. Higginbotham is survived by his wife, Ann; their three children, Joe P. Higginbotham (Deanna) of Dothan, Joan Ingram (Russell L.) of Jacksonville and John C. Higginbotham (Kristi) of Tuscaloosa; a sister, Flora Self of Clay and six grandchildren The Sun Herald 02/23/2006. Vivian Inez Perez Higginbotham (1912-2006) AL/MS Vivian Higginbotham, a native of Pascagoula and widow of Prieur Jay Higginbotham, Sr., died on Tuesday, February 21 2006 in Mobile, AL in her 94th year. Mrs. Higginbotham was born in Pascagoula on November 18, 1912, daughter of Vincente Pe'rez and Maude Irene Davis of Pascagoula. On her father's side she was descended from the earliest settlers of Mobile, Ocean Springs, Gautier, Dauphin Island and Pascagoula. She attended the Pascagoula Public Schools, excelling in drama, music and athletics. She spent her youth in Pascagoula and in Mobile where her grandmother, sister and numerous relatives lived. In 1931, she entered Mississippi Woman's College in Hattiesburg, where she majored in music and foreign languages. She was president of her class and president of the Spanish Club, and was selected by the student body as "Most Versatile," and "Most Popular." After her graduation, she began her teaching career in the public schools. From 1935 until 1968, she taught English, Spanish and French, while directing numerous plays, musicals and operettas, as well as the Pascagoula High School Chorus. In the 1950's she founded and was the first director of Choraliers. In 1936 she married Prieur Jay Higginbotham, Sr. and had three children Prieur Jay, Mary Kay and Richard Dale. "Miss Higgy" as she was fondly known, was active in numerous civic activities, such as the Woman's Club and Anola Club, of which she served as President. She also served on the library board for nearly a quarter-century, and as chairman for several years. She ran several times in the Azalea Trail Race in Mobile during the early 1980's. She began as pianist for the Baptist Church in Pascagoula in 1924 at the age of 12. Later, she became organist and served in that capacity for 73 years. In addition, she played for hundreds of weddings, funeral and social functions and played for the Pascagoula High School graduation exercises until 1996. An ardent feminist, she was among the first women in Jackson County to run for public office and was only narrowly defeated in 1965 for the Pascagoula City Council. In 1996, she appeared on NBC's "Today Show" playing the piano and speaking about one of her long-time friends and former pupils, Trent Lott. Mrs. Higginbotham is survived by her three children, Jay Higginbotham of Mobile, AL; Mary Kay Parrish of Shawnee, OK; and Dale Higginbotham of Natchitoches, LA; seven grandchildren: Jeanne-Mercier, Denis Prieur, Robert, John Michael, Robin, Amelia, and Julia; three great-grandchildren, Carson, Holly and Kerrie, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives. Visitation will be Friday, February 24 , 2006 at O'Bryant-O'Keefe Funeral Home in Pascagoula from 7-9 pm. Funeral Services will be Saturday, February 25, 2006 at 2:00pm from the First Baptist Church of Pascagoula with visitation one hour prior to service. Interment will follow at Old Spanish Fort Cemetery also known as Krebs Cemetery in Pascagoula. Mike Flechas, Gary Greenough, John Wilkinson, Bill Lambert, Joe Webb, Gary Holland, Bobby Canty, and John Corlew will serve as pallbearers. Arrangements by O'Bryant-O'Keefe Funeral Home , Pascagoula, MS. The Jacksonville News 05/18/2006 Ralph Daniel Higginbotham (ca1945-2006) AL Graveside services for Ralph "Dan" Higginbotham Jr., 61, of Anniston were at 10:45 a.m. May 13 at Highland Cemetery. Rev. Bruce Hodge officiated. Gray Brown-Service Mortuary officiated. Mr. Higginbotham died May 9 at his residence. Survivors include his father, Ralph Daniel Higginbotham Sr. of Jacksonville; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Nancy and John Bryson of St. Simons Island, Ga., and Diane Higginbotham of New York City; and two nephews, Benjamin D. Bryson and Samuel J. Bryson. Mr. Higginbotham was a native and resident of Anniston. He was a graduate of Anniston High School and Georgia Tech. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a member of Parker Memorial Baptist Church and the Anniston Rotary Club. He was owner and operator of Higginbotham Printing. Memorial donations may be made to Parker Memorial Baptist Church Building Fund, American Heart Association or to the Mississippi Sheriff's Boys and Girls Ranch. Published in The Birmingham News on 5/26/2006 M. T. Higginbotham Jr. (ca1917-2006) AL HIGGINBOTHAM, M. T., JR., age 89, of Bessemer, AL, passed away on May 25, 2006. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Bessemer where he was an Elder and Sunday School teacher. Funeral Services will be held in the Chapel of Bessemer Brown Service Funeral Home on May 27, 2006 at 11:30 a.m, with burial in Highland Memorial Gardens. Rev. Randy Kessler officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday, May 26, 2006 from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. Mr. Higginbotham is survived by his: wife, Grace Higginbotham; son, Michael (Sheryl) Higginbotham of Tuscaloosa; granddaughters, Sarah Higginbotham of Winston-Salem, NC and Emily Higginbotham of Tuscaloosa. Bessemer Brown Service Funeral Home will be serving the Higginbotham family. 425-2424 . Published in The Birmingham News 6/12/2006 Ray Harold Higginbotham (1928-2006) AL HIGGINBOTHAM, RAY HAROLD age 77, of Birmingham, passed away on Friday, June 9, 2006 at this residence. He was born in Blount County, Alabama to the parents of George Ellis Higginbotham and Matle Lee Marsh Higginbotham. He was a retired truck driver specializing in heavy haulers and a Korean War Messenger. He was preceded in death by his wife, Billie Sue Higginbotham; parents, Ellis and Matle Higginbotham; sister, Ezell Guarraccino and brothers, Carl Higginbotham and Russell Higginbotham. He is survived by his wife, Dot Walker of Birmingham; sons, Harold (Sheila) Higginbotham of Clay, Randal (Benita) Higginbotham of Moody, Carl Higginbotham of Irondale; daughter, Debra (Walter) McGarr of Hoover; brother, Perry Higginbotham of Texas; sisters, Estell Cornelius of Easley, Elmira Forrester of Prattville, Linda Gail Snider of Albany, GA; six grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Funeral Services will be held on Monday, June 12, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. at Lemley Chapel with interment in St. Mountain Memory Gardens. Rev. John Ray officiating. Visitation will be held on Sunday, June 11, 2006 from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be David McGarr, Chase Higginbotham, Nick Higginbotham, Jason Higginbotham, Santigo Chappro, and Jeremy Ryer. Lemley Chapel of Oneonta Directing, 205-274-2323. The Gadsden Times Published June 13, 2006 Opal Christine Higginbotham Miller Hicks (1923-2006) AL Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Morgan Funeral Chapel for Opal Christine Miller Hicks, 83, Attalla, who died Sunday, June 11, 2006. Pastor Bill Scott will officiate. Burial in Oak Hill Cemetery. Morgan Funeral Chapel & Crematory directing. Mrs. Hicks was a native of Etowah County and was of the Baptist faith. She was preceded in death by her parents, Luke and Tommie Higginbotham; sisters, Vernice Clark and Dalhia Boba; and brother, Milton Higginbotham. She is survived by her sons, Glenn Miller (Helen), Attalla, and Ricky Miller (Jeanie), Attalla; daughter, Sylvin Lowery, Attalla; grandchildren, Richard, Tina, Jason, Christina and Tiffany Miller and Misty Driskell; and great-grandchildren, Luke, Zachary, Lindsey and Hannah. Pallbearers will be Richard Miller, Jason Miller, Roger Cleveland, Rodney Cleveland, Shannon Cleveland and Cain Parrish. Honorary pallbearers will be Nick Clark, Wayne Bobo, Conley O'Rear, Tommy Earl Clark and Joe Hereford. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 tonight at the funeral home and Wednesday until the hour of service.