Wyoming Obituaries

Douglas Budget Nov, 11, 1920

Joanna Hickenbottom Starkey (1841-1920) IA/WY

Joanna Starkey, aged 80 years, died Sunday, Oct. 24, 1920 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. H. Liggett, thirty miles northwest of Douglas on the Ross Road. Joanna was the widow of the late Willis Starkey. She had lived with her daughter the last two years. Joanna was born at Fairfield, Iowa on June 26, 1841, the youngest daughter of Joseph and Rebekah Hickenbottom. She was married to Willis L. Starkey April 4, 1869, and they continued to make Fairfield their home until September, 1907, when they moved to Denver, Colorado and in the spring of 1916 to the homestead near Douglas. Her husband of over 50 years passed away October 30, 1919. To this union were born five children, only one remaining to mourn her loss, Mrs. J. H. Liggett of this county. She was the last member of a family of eleven brothers and sisters, but she leaves quite a number of nieces and nephews. One niece, Miss Margaret Toothaker of Hoxie, Kansas, to whom she had been almost a mother, was present at the funeral.

The Custer County Chief (Broken Bow, NE) 8/16/1934

Velma P. Hickenbottom (1913-1934) NE/WY

VELMA HICKENBOTTOM IS KILLED IN AUTO CRASH

Word has been received of the sad death of Miss Velma Hickenbottom, the twenty-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Hickenbottom. Her death occurred last Monday near Moorecroft, Wyoming, where the Hickenbottoms live. She and three other young people in a coupe, ran into a parked truck filled with rock. Miss Hickenbottom and her companion were killed, and the other two are not expected to recover.

Mr. and Mrs. Hickenbottom are well known in the county, having made their home near Ansley and in Broken Bow for a number of years. Miss Velma attended the Ansley high school only a few years ago.

She was the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Hickenbottom and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Baker of Broken Bow. She also has a twin brother, Velda, living in Broken Bow.

Clovis (NM) News-Journal 02/22/1970

David Henry Higginbotham (1906-1970) NM/WY

Henry Higginbotham Funeral Rites Held

Jasper, Wyo.-Funeral services for Henry Higginbotham, 63, were held here Friday. Mr. Higginbotham died in his home Feb. 15.

Attending the funeral services were Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Higginbotham and sons Buford and Calvin Higginbotham of Clovis.

Henry Higginbotham is survived by his widow, Ellen, of Jasper. Mr. Higginbotham had been a building contractor in Jasper for the past several years.

The Daily Oklahoman 06/07/1976

Robert Lee Higginbotham (1923-1976) OK/WY

ADA-Services for Robert Lee Higginbotham, 53, of Casper, Wyo., formerly of Ada, will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Criswell Funeral Home with burial in Rosedale Cemetery. He died Thursday at Casper.

Born in Ada, Higginbotham was an East Central Oklahoma State University Graduate. He had worked in the personnel department for Kerr-McGee Co. and has lived in Casper for the last three years.

Survivors include his wife, Doris, three daughters, Mrs. Christi Smith, Bixby; Mrs. Laurie Jones, Casper, and Mrs. Becky Hegrenes, Oklahoma City, and seven sisters.

Casper Star Tribune 11/02/2005

Doris Ross Higginbotham (1926-2005) TX/WY
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
ADA, Texas -- The funeral for former Casper resident Doris Higginbotham, 79, of Arlington, Texas, will be conducted at 2 p.m. today, Nov. 2, in Criswell Funeral Home Chapel in Ada by Fr. Bill Stanford. Burial will follow in Rosedale Cemetery.
She died Oct. 30, 2005, at an assisted living center in Arlington.
Born Jan. 25, 1926, in Ada, she was the daughter of Viola (Bumgarner) and Albert S. Ross; attended school at Horace Mann; and graduated from Ada High School.
She received a degree in home economics from East Central University in Ada and attended other real estate schools to obtain her broker's license.
On Jan. 24, 1948, she married Robert L. Higginbotham in Oklahoma City. He preceded her in death on June 3, 1976, in Casper, after 28 years of marriage.
She was the owner of Higginbotham Realty in Casper for 30 years; served as president of Casper Board of Realtors; and was a member of Casper MLS.
Also, she was an elder at First Presbyterian Church of Casper.
Survivors include three daughters, Becky Kubiak and her husband of Arlington, Kristy Smith and her husband of Tulsa, Okla., and Laurie Mitchell and her partner of McKinney, Texas; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Casper Star-Tribune 03/18/2010

Esther DeGering Higinbotham (1920-2010) WY

LUSK - - Funeral services for Esther DeGering Higinbotham, 89, will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, March 19, 2010, at the Congregational Church. Interment will follow in the Lusk Cemetery. She died Saturday, March 13, 2010, in Cheyenne.

The Ranger 7/31/2013

Virginia Margaret Knopp Higinbotham (1934-2013) MT/WY

Virginia Margaret Knopp Higinbotham died Wednesday, July 24, 2013, at Help for Health Hospice in Riverton with her husband at her side. She was 78 years old. Services will be at 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, at the First Baptist Church of Lander, 330 Sweetwater St. Virginia Margaret Knopp was born Oct. 1, 1934, in Watkins, Mont., the daughter of Fredrick Knopp and Margaret Schaffer. She attended school in Shoshoni. She married Daniel C. Higinbotham on July 10, 1953. Mrs. Higinbotham worked at various restaurants in the Lander area and was a cook at the Husky Truck Stop for several years. Her family said she enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and doing various kinds of needle crafts. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Daniel Higinbotham Sr.; children Veda Sutphin of Burton, Kan., Julia Long and her husband Nolan of Lander, Mary Hunt and her husband David of Osceola, Neb., Ralph and his wife Minnie of Lander, Daniel Jr. and his wife Dawn of Riverton and David of Lander; sister Emma and her husband Jerry Durfey of Lander; brother Richard Bruner and his wife Sally of Lincoln, Neb.; granddaughters Spring Eastman and her husband Zachary and Heather Rerucha and her husband Ryan of David City, Neb.; 24 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and adopted children and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother; several half brothers and sisters; one granddaughter; and two great-grandchildren.

The Ranger 09/19/2013

Virginia Lee Higinbotham Henderson (1919-2013) OK/WY

Virginia Lee Henderson died Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, at the Westward Heights Care Center in Lander. She was 93 years old. Services are at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20, at Hudson's Funeral Home in Lander. Virginia Lee Henderson was born Dec. 15, 1919, in Fairland, Okla., the daughter of Ralph and Lily Anne Higinbotham. On Sept. 21, 1938, she married J.R. Henderson in Seneca, Mo. He preceded her in death on October 12, 2005. The couple moved to Wyoming in 1943 where Mrs. Henderson worked at the Wyoming State Training School off and on for roughly 20 years. After retiring, the couple lived in Dubois for several years before moving to Hudson. Mrs. Henderson was a charter member of the Nazarene Church in Lander, and she and her husband helped to establish the original Nazarene Church in Lander. The annex to the new church is dedicated to the Hendersons. She is survived by her children, Pat Henderson and his wife Sandi of Green River, Jo Elmore of Nampa, Idaho, and Lynda Robinson of Las Vegas; grandchildren Patti Hessling and her husband Del of Pavillion, Mitchel Lewis and his wife Angela of Jackson, Michael Henderson and his wife Shana of Green River, Larry Leavenworth and his wife Melanie of Lander, Shari Stamper and her husband Bruce of Nampa, Idaho, JoDana Mills and her husband Dave of Rupert, Idaho, and Shane Robinson and his wife Christine of Las Vegas; 16 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and brother Daniel Higinbotham of Lander. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, two sons-in-law, and one granddaughter. Memorial contributions may be made to an organization of the donor's choosing.

Northern Wyoming Daily News 3/1/2018

Reba Martin Higginbotham Shryack Dill (1929-2018) MS/WY

Reba Martin (Shryack) Dill, age of 88 of Worland died on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Billings, MT after a brief battle with lung cancer.

Reba was born on March 7, 1929 in Enterprise, Mississippi to William Kyle and Pearl Mae (Moody) Higgenbotham. Reba was the youngest of 3 daughters.

In 1950, Reba married Fred Shryack in Buffalo, WY. They lived at the ditch camp between Neiber and Winchester, WY. They later resided in Otto and Worland before settling on the ranch on the Gooseberry Creek. Fred and Reba raised 4 children, Nathella, Steve, Carla and Shauna. They were married for 27 years before their divorce in 1977.

Reba married Lyle Dill on February 14, 1983. They were married for nearly 21 years until Lyle’s death on January 17, 2004. Lyle and Reba resided in Basin where they enjoyed mutual hobbies and interests including working together on Lyle’s mechanical projects, working in their beautiful yard, gardening, 4-Wheeling, fishing and getting together with treasured friends for games and celebrations.

Reba will be remembered as a strong private, humble woman of integrity who had a strong work ethic and was devoted to her family. She always looked forward to her trips to Tennessee to see her parents, sisters, nieces and nephews as well as extended family members. She was blessed with physical beauty, a gentle soul, a warm heart and an infectious smile, but whenever her family or friends complimented her on her looks, she reminded us that beauty is only skin deep. Her hobbies included sewing, gardening, canning, woodwork, quilting, and numerous other crafts.

Reba was preceded in death by her mother and father, her first born daughter, Nathella, husband, Lyle, sisters, Etta “Marie” Horton and Elsie “Florayne” Scipper and son-in-law, Mark Schneider and lifelong friend Lawanda Rhodes.

Reba is survived by her numerous family members who will miss her dearly, including, three children: son, Steve (Teryl) Shryack, Daughters, Carla (Harry) Capser of Joliet, Montana and Shauna (Lee) Decker of Worland; ten grandchildren, Charley (Jesse) Wallace, Carl (Whitney) Schneider, Will (Stevie) Capser, Dusty (Leslie) Shryack, Sarah (Eric) Ball, Myste (Kevin) Ellerbee, Eslin Shryack, Hoyt Shryack, Kayla Schneider, and Ella Decker; Eleven great-grandchildren: Jayda Shryack, Macklan Ball, Steven Capser, Nohlan and Gage Ball, Audrey Capser, Miles Wallace, James Ellerbee, Goldie Capser, August Wallace and Connor Schneider.

8/9/2020

Anthony James Higginbottom (2004-2020) England/WY

Anthony James Higginbottom, of Cheyenne, Wyoming passed away August 5, 2020. Anthony was born March 28, 2004 in Lakenheath, England, a son of Joe and Jodi Higginbottom. Anthony had many interests and hobbies. He was an accomplished pianist and a well-rounded artist, focusing on drawing and painting. He also enjoyed writing and was a very gifted photographer and musician. His other interests included traveling, going to concerts, watching hockey and baseball games, watching movies, gaming, cooking and baking, reading and playing with his dogs. He loved spending time with his girlfriend, friends and family. Anthony also enjoyed working at the AMC Theater and the Epic Egg, both in Cheyenne. Anthony is survived by the love of his life, Myranda Meese; parents, Joe and Jodi Higginbottom; siblings, Stefani Gimm (James Horn), Thomas Higginbottom (Idalis Ramirez), Joseph Higginbottom and Daniella Higginbottom; grandparents, Carole McLaughlin, Jean Tobey, Joseph and Debbie Higginbottom, and Elizabeth Cloutier; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; and two very special nephews and one beautiful niece. He is preceded in death recently by his grandfather, James L. Hnatko, and many other loving relatives that he fondly remembered. A memorial service will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at the Lakeview Chapel at Schrader, Aragon and Jacoby Funeral Home.

Vase Funeral Home 5/26/2023

Betty Jane Higginbotham Todd Emerson (1932-2023) AR/IL/WY
May 4, 1932 - May 21, 2023
Betty Todd Emerson passed away on Sunday, May 21st in Riverton, Wyoming.   
She was born May 4, 1932, in the township of Huggins, Arkansas, to Julia Mayberry Higginbotham Groves and Jesse Higginbotham. 
She went to school in Arkansas and Illinois and married John Robert (Bob) Todd on October 28, 1950. Betty and Bob had three children: Sondra (Sandy), John Edward (Eddie), and Michael (Mike) Allen. They remained married until Bob’s death in 1991. Betty married Charles (Chuck) Emerson on October 29th, 1993.
A long-time resident of Rock Springs, Wyoming, Betty was known for her wit and humor. Betty was always busy with her hands, working on whatever crafting project she had at the ready. 
She enjoyed crocheting, hand quilting, and when her grandchildren were young, painting ceramic figurines. 
Betty’s dining table was the center of her family. Sunday dinners featured her famous fried chicken and side dishes. There was a seat for everyone around that table and everyone was welcome. Presiding over a meal was where Betty shone. 
Mrs. Emerson belonged to Order of Eastern Star, Daughters of the Nile and Rebecca’s.
Survivors include, two sons, Michel Allen and companion Julie Bernal of Green River, Wyoming; John Edward of Worland, Wyoming; one daughter, Sandy Ghormley and husband Pat or Rock Springs, Wyoming; one brother, Guy “Jr.” Groves of Illinois; one sister, George Ann of Illinois; three grandchildren, Crystal Wright and husband Richard; Elizabeth “Betsey” Martin and husband David; John Kenneth “Beau” and wife Rachel; eight great-grandchildren, Don Patrick; Jason Todd; Avery; Wyatt; Lucas; Connor; Daris and Christian Balzly ; as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, Bob Todd; Chuck Emerson; three brothers, Harvey; Oscar; William; two sisters, Sue; Virgie; one granddaughter, Connie Ghormley; daughter-in-law, Lori Todd, and son-in-law, Warren “Pat” Patras.
Funeral Services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at First Congregational Church, FCC, 1275 Adams Avenue, Rock Springs, Wyoming. Interment will be in Rock Springs Municipal Cemetery. Friends may call one hour prior to services.

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