This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: MichaelCronk28 Surnames: FLANAGAN, HIGGINS, HOGAN, HOLMES, JENISON, MEEKER, RITTER, SPENCER, WALSH Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.michigan.counties.kent/8700/mb.ashx Message Board Post: J.A. HIGGINS IS DEAD AT 75 HEART DISEASE FATAL TO MILLING COMPANY HEAD, CIVIC LEADER JOHN A. HIGGINS, Grand Rapids businessman and civic leader, died Sunday at Butterworth Hospital. He was 75 years old and was organizer and, since 1929, President of WATSON-HIGGINS MILLING COMPANY, 506 Second St., NW Mr. Higgins expired of a heart ailment 24 hours after he was flown here from Tampa, Fla., where he had gone last January. A native of Nunica, Mr. Higgins had lived in this vicinity all his life. He attended school at Nunica and as a young man taught school at Coopersville. AT FLOUR MILL Next, he went to Jenison where he put in four years as office manager for the flour mill operated there by Lumen and Lucius Jenison. He then moved to Grand Rapids to take a position with the Acker and Ford lumber concern here. In 1905, Mr. Higgins and the late Frank F. Watson formed the present Watson-Higgins Milling Company. Mr. Higgins had been associated with that business until his death. Mr. Higgins had been President of the Michigan Millers' Association and was a member of the Millers' National Federation. He was also a member of the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Also, Mr. Higgins had been Faithful Navigator of the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus. He was Chairman of the Board of Villa Maria at the time the present Villa Maria Home was built and was Chairman of the committee in charge of construction of the original unit of St. Mary's Hospital. Mr. Higgins was one of the original members of St. Thomas' Catholic Parish but in recent years was a member of St. Stephen's Parish. Surviving are his wife, MARJORIE; five sons, ROBERT J. HIGGINS, JAMES E. HIGGINS, JOHN A. HIGGINS, JR., PHILLIP S. HIGGINS and PAUL H. HIGGINS; two daughters, MRS. PAUL E. (HELEN) FLANAGAN and MRS. WILLIAM S. (GRACE) HOLMES; five grandchildren; a brother, LEE H. HIGGINS, Secretary-treasurer of Watson-Higgins Company; three sisters, MRS. MINNIE HOGAN of Grand Rapids, MRS. MARGARET RITTER of St. Louis, Mo., and MRS. LAVINA SPENCER of Honolulu. Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. from St. Stephen's Church with burial in Woodlawn Cemetery. Pallbears will be Thomas E. Walsh, Edward G. McDermott, Michael Leonard, Thomas P. Higgins, a nephew, Joseph P. Lynch and John I. Flanagan. THE GRAND RAPIDS HERALD, Grand Rapids, Mich., Mon., 24 Mar. 1952, Pg. 1, Col. 3 & Pg. 2, Col. 4 *********************** IGI INDIVIDUAL RECORD Lottie A. JENISON, b. Jenison, Ottawa Co., MI, daughter of Hiram E. JENISON & Ella MEEKER. Lottie married John A. HIGGINS, 26 June 1906, in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., MI. John was born in Nunica, Ottawa Co., MI, the son of Jas HIGGINS and Margaret [WALSH] Source Information: Batch No. M017328 INDEX FOR KENT COUNTY MARRIAGES, 1845 TO 1929 First Spouse: John A. Higgins Second Spouse: Lottie A. Jenison Book No. 14 Page No. 228 Year Range: 1904-1907 To see a BIOGRAPHICAL CARICATURE of JOHN A. HIGGINS (c.1914), go to: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty&cc=micounty&idno=3123296.0001.001&q1=Watson-Higgins Milling&frm=frameset&view=pdf&seq=69 WOODLAWN CEMETERY, GRAND RAPIDS, KENT CO., MICHIGAN Higgins, John A., 1876-1952 - West Side, Block D, Grave #6 Higgins, Lottie A., 1882-1926 - West Side, Block D, Grave #7 http://kent.migenweb.net/cemeteries/paris/woodlawn/map.html#Woodlawn_Cemetery_-_West_Portion_ Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.