Elvin Higgins

Elvin J. “Jack” Higgins, age 83, died on Thursday, March 25. 2010 at the Emmanuel Home in Litchfield after years of pain. A memorial service will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Litchfield United Methodist Church with Pastors Bill Kerr and Roger Klinghagen officiating. Military Honors will be provided by the Litchfield Military Honor Guard. Elvin John “Jack” Higgins was born in Hutchinson, MN on May 20, 1926 to Ethel and Charles Higgins. He was a fifth generation Higgins baptized in Vineyard United Methodist Church of Hutchinson. He attended Hutchinson schools thru 7th grade, 8th grade in country school and graduated from Litchfield High School in 1944. Jack entered the Navy in December of 1944 and taught radio in San Francisco until August 1946. He earned a BS in electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota on the G.I. Bill. He married Florence “Flossy” Pratt in Minneapolis on July 31, 1947. He went into farming with his dad in 1950, soon after his first son Paul was born. He ran a dairy farm until 1966, when his barns burned, and then crop farmed until his retirement. Jack spent many summers camping and backpacking out west in the mountains. His joy was hosting church and other corn roasts. He served many years as treasurer for Dist 34, Greenleaf Township and the Meeker County Fair Board. Jack enjoyed his 40 years with the male chorus and 20 years with the South Fork Singers. He was also active in the Church, singing and directing the choir and teaching Sunday School. Together he and Flossy spent 12 years south for the winter as NOMADS missions thru UMC. They moved into Litchfield in the fall of 2005. Jack has been on dialysis from 2005 until March of 2010. He entered Emmanuel home on November 6, 2009. He is survived by his wife, of almost 63 years, Flossy Higgins of Litchfield, children; Paul (and Laverne) Higgins of Fayettville, NY, Wally (and Carol) Higgins of Hutchinson, Mae (and Rod) Kingzette of Berkeley, IL, David Higgins of Litchfield, Neal (and Emily) Higgins of Maple Grove and Dean (and Terry) Higgins of Lakeland, MN. He is also survived by 8 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, sister Dorothy Grabow of Detroit Lakes, 2 grand-dogs, 2 grand-cats, many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Emogene Fuglsang. “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty, well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out and proclaiming, ’Wow, what a ride’.”