Jean Douglass Higdon Passes at 90
Jean D. Higdon, widow of W. Dain Higdon (HFA President, 1986) passed on to be with the Lord on January 5, 2010. She had moved to the Regent Care Center when she became unable to stand or walk on her own. Jean had a cheery smile for anyone that came by to see her. In the last 6 months, (due to her Alzheimer's progression), she had trouble creating complete sentences in response to questions from others. But she participated in the activities of the center if someone would push her "jerry chair" to the event. On December 30, 2009, Jean got to see and meet her new great-grandson, Park Barrett Higdon and was thrilled. On January 1, 2010, Jean celebrated what would have been her 67th wedding anniversary. She had stopped eating regular food and was only taking in liquids or ice cream. On January 2nd, she slipped into a coma. From January 2nd to January 5th, she was non-responsive but was breathing easily. On Tuesday night (Jan. 5th) she slowly stopped breathing and was gone.
Jean Douglass Higdon (nee Ida Myrtle Imogene Douglass)
Loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend Jean D. Higdon died on
January 5, 2010. She was born on October 17, 1919, in Hartshorn, OK,
the eighth child of nine born to Rev. J.R. and Della Douglass of Krebs,
OK. She graduated from McAlester High School, after which, she studied
to become a beautician. She was an independent businesswoman with her
own beauty shop when she met W. Dain Higdon in McAlester during WWII.
They were married Jan 1, 1943 at First Baptist Church in McAlester and
moved to San Antonio following the war. With two children to rear, she
became a fulltime mother. After moves to Dinero, TX, (where her 3rd
child was born) and Pleasanton, TX, Jean again opened Jean's Beauty
Shop. She and Dain were always active in anything they did or were a
part of, including First and Trinity Baptist Churches in Pleasanton.
She was a charter member of Trinity Baptist in Pleasanton and later
Shearer Hills Baptist Church in San Antonio. A leader in multiple
church organizations, she served as Sunday School teacher, Girls'
Auxiliary leader, GA Director for the San Antonio Baptist Association,
Women's Missionary Union President and District Director, plus a leader
of San Antonio Baptist Association GA Camps. Jean wrote the history of
the Shearer Hills WMU to celebrate the 75th anniversary of WMU, and she
was honored for writing the WMU slogan and logo used for the national
75th anniversary. She was an active member of her church, launching
mission activities at Alamo Heights Rehabilitation Center and Madonna
Apartments that she led for forty years. She planned and ran a
well-attended Girls? Auxiliary Camp in Alto Frio Baptist Encampment for
several years. The development of GA Camp led Jean and Dain to establish
their own camp, north of Canyon Lake near Fisher's Store, TX around
1969. Camp Jada was a viable camp built from the ground up by the
Higdons, who operated it for 10 years, prior to selling it. In a true
partnership and marriage that spanned more than 55 years, Jean and Dain
supported each other in any position one of them held, including Knife
and Fork Club (Treasurer and Secretary in 1970s), WMU, GAs, San Antonio
Retired Teachers' Association, Rotary International, Rotary Youth
Leadership Awards (organizers for RYLA in South Texas), Alamo Heights
Little League, Alamo Heights Football Boosters, Entre Nous (SAISD), the
Higdon Family Association, and many other organizations. When Jean had
raised her children she became a computer Data Processor at Whittier
Middle School, SAISD. Jean was listed in Who's Who of American Women.
Ninth edition, 1975-1976. Jean was an organizer for any group of which
she was a part. She organized a national GA Day at HemisFair '68; worked
with Dain on the Political Campaigns of John Connally, planned reunions
for Harlendale High School classes of 1928-1938; and 2 reunions for the
Higdon Family Assoication (San Antonio, 1986 & 1998). Relationships
were very important to her, from high school, church, Rotary, SAISD,
and her special friendships that spanned over 50 years of New Year's
Celebrations with a group of 9 couples, all of whom had marriages of
more than 50 years. Jean always taught her children to strive for their
best whether it was piano, baseball, football, art or school. Her
highest achievement was the moral guidance she and Dain gave their
children and grandchildren. During her life, three things remained of
paramount importance: her God, her family and friends, and her service
activities.
The family wishes to acknowledge the services of CIMA Hospice and Regent
Care and all the wonderful people that helped take care of Jean in her
final days.
Ida Jean Douglass Higdon is survived by her children; James N. Higdon
(and wife Barbara) and Janice Higdon of San Antonio, TX; A. Dain Higdon
(and wife LaDonna) of Austin,
TX; grandchildren, Travis Higdon (and wife Janet) of Los Angeles, CA;
Andrew Higdon (and wife Jennifer) of Denver, CO; O?Kelley H. Little (and
husband Paul), Katherine J. Higdon, Mary M. Higdon of Austin, TX;
great-grandchildren Riley Elliot Higdon of Denver, CO, and Park Barrett
Higdon of Los Angeles, CA. She is also survived by sister Ruth Weldon
of Bartlesville, OK, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded
in death by W. Dain Higdon, her husband of 55 years, grandson James T.
Higdon; her parents; her brothers John, Lewis E. and Charles Noel
Douglass and sisters Edna Frederick, Nell Young, Thelma Drumb, and
Margaret Josephine Douglass.
Family Burial at Mission Park North, San Antonio, TX 11:00 am Monday,
January 11,2010.
Memorial Service at Shearer Hills Baptist Church, San Antonio, TX 1:00
p. m. Monday, January 11, 2010.
Visitation with Family following Memorial Service at Fellowship Hall,
Shearer Hills Baptist Church.
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