Marjorie Higgins

Marjorie Ione Higgins, 83, died Friday, 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.

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 been known as the Cut Bank Playhouse. She was community-minded. She was involved in Cub Scouts, as a Ferndale school volunteer, on the Flathead Tax Appeal Board and 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, whom 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; and sisters Inez Lee of Missoula, Millie Kuka of Havre and Betty Nail of Kennewick, Wash.

Survivors include one son, Ron Higgins of 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 of Troy and children Brady, Jordan and Sammi; and Kristen Hutchison and husband Tony of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and daughter Courtney.

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

Nelson and Vile Funeral Home in Libby is in charge of arrangements. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 13, at the Christ Lutheran Church, 200 W. Larch St. in Libby. Reception will follow at the Elks Lodge at 220 W. Fourth St.

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