Obituary: Velma Lee Haliburton Higgs
Velma Lee Haliburton Higgs went to heaven to be with her Lord and Savior Sunday afternoon, March 9, 2025. She passed peacefully at her home in Toone, Tennessee. Mrs. Higgs was born September 24, 1931, in Toone to Lessie Vernon Haliburton and William Haliburton.
Mrs. Higgs graduated from Bolivar Central High School and married the love of her life, James Hunter Higgs on December 21, 1950, in Corinth, Mississippi. They married right before Mr. Higgs’ deployment to Germany during the Korean Conflict. Upon Mr. Higgs’ exit from the Army, they commenced life as a couple living in Bolivar, Paris, and Jackson, Tennessee and Chicago, Illinois. They returned home to Toone in the mid-1960s where they lived and raised their three sons. Mrs. Higgs was an active member of Toone Baptist Church serving as Sunday School secretary for many years. She worked as the school secretary at Toone Elementary School for many years retiring in 1993. The Higgs were avid gardeners and always shared their bounty with family and friends.
Funeral services will be held at Shackelford Funeral Directors’ Chapel on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 1 p.m. in Bolivar. The burial will follow in the Vernon Cemetery near Cloverport.
Mrs. Higgs is survived by two sons, Tom and Bob (Lisa), both of Toone; seven grandchildren, Todd (Allison) of Portageville, Missouri, Stella Bess Higgs Barron (Craig) of Dyersburg, Tennessee, Kimberly Higgs Volner (Grant) of Bartlett, Tennessee, Agatha Kate Higgs Boone (Daniel) of Friendship, Tennessee, Heather Higgs Nethery (Cory) of Medina, Tennessee, Mary Katherine Higgs von Potts (Erich) of Ringgold, Georgia, and Laura Ann Higgs of Nashville, Tennessee. She is also survived by 15 great grandchildren, Harper, Hattie, and Haven Higgs, Virginia, Margaret, and Catherine Barron, Cade and Molly Volner, Ramey, Amelia, and Bessie Boone, Emmett and Grayson Nethery, and Patton and Whitten von Potts. Also, she is survived by her daughter-in-law Marsha Higgs of Martin, Tennessee.
Mrs. Higgs was preceded in death by her parents as well her husband of 56 years at the time of his passing. Also preceding her in death was her son, Mike Higgs; granddaughter, Allison Higgs; her brother, Albert Haliburton; and her sister, Virginia Derryberry.
The family asked memorials be made to Toone Baptist Church, P. O. Box 96, Toone, Tennessee 38381.
Courtesy of Shackelford Funeral Directors, Bolivar, Tennessee.
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