Montana Obituaries

 

The Anaconda Standard 11/06/1905

Ruth Higginbotham (1903-1905) MT

Ruth, the two year and six months old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Higginbotham, died last evening at the family residence, No. 1505 North Main Street, Walkerville.

 

 

The Billings Gazette 12/12/1949

Edward Christopher Higginbotham (1915-1949) MT

Monoxide Gas Takes Life of Local Resident

Wife, Children are Reported in Serious Condition

Edward Christopher Higginbotham, 34, of 2609 Sixth avenue north, was found dead and his wife and children unconscious in a bedroom of their home Sunday afternoon, the apparent victims of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The tragedy was discovered at about 1:30 p.m. when Mr. Higginbotham’s sister, Mrs. Ellen Cartwright of Laurel, arrived at the Higginbotham home.

Police and firemen were called and the resuscitator crew of the fire department administered oxygen to the victims until the arrival of a doctor who had the mother and children taken to a Billings hospital.

Mrs. Higginbotham, 31, and the children, Jimmy, 6, and Rosalie, 4, were reported in serious condition Sunday night at the hospital.

Mrs. Cartwright said that Mr. Higginbotham called her at her home in Laurel about 11:30 a.m. Sunday and asked her to come to Billings because Mrs. Higginbotham and the children were ill. Then, apparently, he returned to the upstairs bedroom where all of the bodies were found.

Mel Boice, Yellowstone county coroner, said Sunday night that the cause of Mr. Higginbotham’s death was carbon monoxide poisoning. The deadly gas, he said, probably seeped into the dwelling from a front room heater and a bathroom hot water heater.

Mr. Higginbotham was employed at the federal weather station at the Billings airport.

He was born Oct. 12, 1915, in Forsyth, son of Mr. and Mrs. James F. Higginbotham. He attended Forsyth school and attended Eastern Montana Normal college and Montana State university at Missoula.

After graduation he taught school at Baker and in rural schools near Forsyth before entering the Army ion 1942. He served three years in the European theater of war before being discharged in 1945. He was a member of the Yellowstone post of the American Legion.

He married Miss Rosina Saur Sept. 13, 1941, in Miles City.

The family moved to Billings in 1946.

Besides the widow and son and daughter, Mr. Higginbotham is survived by his mother, Mrs. Margaret Higginbotham of Forsyth; three brothers, William L. Higginbotham of Laurel and Charles L. Higginbotham and Thomas Higginbotham of Forsyth; three sisters, Mrs. Minor J. Wells of Fort Worth, Texas, Mrs. Clarence Filley of Seattle, Wash., and Mrs. Cartwright.

The body is at Smith’s funeral home.

 

 

The Billings Gazette 07/27/1972

Margaret Steele Higginbotham (1881-1972) MN/MT

Forsyth-Mrs. Margaret Higginbotham, 91, died at Rosebud Community Hospital Wednesday morning.

She was born June 18, 1881, in Northfield, Minn., daughter of Daniel and Katherine Steele.

She was married to James Higginbotham Sept. 19, 1899, in Alberta.

They came to Forsyth in 1911 where he worked for the Northern Pacific railroad and later operated a dairy. He died in 1949.

Survivors include three sons, Charles and Thomas of Forsyth and William of Laurel; three daughters, Mrs. Mary Wells of Port Orchard, Wash., Mrs. Ida Filley of Hamilton and Mrs. Ellen Durr of Forsyth; one sister, Mrs. Mabel Geist of Joliet; one foster daughter, Mrs. Georgia Gaskell of Deer Lodge; four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

She was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Forsyth and the Rosebud County Pioneer’s Association.

Rosary will be recited 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Beal’s Mortuary. Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Immaculate Conception Church with Father Thomas McThgue. Burial will be in Forsyth Cemetery.

 

 

The Billings Gazette 07/21/1975

William Lewis Higginbotham (1901-1975) Canada/MO/MT

Laurel-William Lewis Higginbotham, 74, died Saturday of a heart attack at his home in Laurel.

He was born June 22, 1901, in Canada, the son of Mrs. And Mrs. James F. Higginbotham. The family moved to Joplin, Mo., and, in 1911, they moved to Forsyth. He attended Forsyth schools and mechanics school in Chicago.

On May 4, 1936, he married Virginia M. Denzer in Red Lodge. They lived in Colstrip for six years, before moving to Laurel in 1943, where he worked as a car repairman for Burlington Northern Railroad until his retirement.

Mr. Higginbotham was a member of Laurel United Methodist Church, Corinthian Lodge No. 72, AF&AM and the Brotherhood of Railroad Carmen Local 476.

Survivors include the widow; two brothers, Charles F. and Thomas J., both of Forsyth and three sisters, Mrs. Minor Wells of Port Orchard, Wash., Mrs. Clarence Filly of Hamilton and Mrs. Don Durr of Forsyth.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Laurel United Methodist Church, the Rev. Marvin A. Northcutt officiating. Cashmore Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

 

 

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