Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-02-09
MRS. JOHN HIGGINS
DIED TUESDAY MORNING
AGED FIFTY YEARS.
Succumbed to Paralysis After III
ness of Several Weeks. Funeral
Held Thursday.

While it was not unexpected the death
of Mrs. John Higgins saddened our
people on Tuesday. morning to a degree
that was noticeable everywhere for it is
doubtless if another woman in Middle
bury had a longer list of friends and
acquaintance than did this most
estimable of women. While she was
known to a host of friends in this town
and vicinity she was known to still
wider circle of acquaintances throughout
New England as there were but few
commercial tourists in New England
who did not have the pleasure of her
acquaintance and it was largely through
her charming manner and soicitous
welfare for her guests that the Addison
became known as hostelry wherein
true hospitality always reigned.
Stricken some weeks ago with a shock
of paralysis Mrs Higgins gradually
failed until the end came on Tuesday.
For weeks she batiled with her maady
and all that medical skill could devise
was done but it was evident shortly after
she sustained the stroke that she must
succumb.
For eighteen years Mr.. and Mrs.
Higgins have made Middlebury their
home coming here from Brandon and
during the eight years that they presided
as host and hostess of the Pierce House
and in the past ten years in like capa-
city at Che Addison Mrs. Higgins has
endeared herself to an Overwhelming
circle of friends who share with the
afflicted family the burden that death
has imposed upon them.
Mrs. Higgins was formerly Miss Helen
Rebecca Welch, daughter of James
and Margaret Welch of Argyle, N. Y,
being born in that town fifty years ago.
She married Mr.. Higgins Sept 10, 1872 |
at East Dorset, VT, the Rev. T. J. Gaff- |
ney, now parish priest of Rutland, per-
forming the ceremony. For many years
they lived in Arlington, and Brandon.
Mrs. Higgins leaves besides a grief
stricken husband, daughter, Mrs. A. |
NJ. Coffin and two sons, Michael j., and |
Edward all of whom were with their |
wife and mother as she passed to the
beyond. In addition to her own family |
the deceased leaves two sisters, Mrs.
Margaret Ballard of Rochester, n. Y.
Mrs. John Robinson, Arlington, Vt, and
a brother j. P. Wech of Arlington.
The funeral services occurred on
Thursday morning at 9:45 from the
Church of the Assumption the Rev. j.
d. Shannon officiating, assisted by Rev.
ID. Coffey of Bristol. 1t was one, of
the largest attended funerals that have
been held in this town in many wears
and during the funeral hour the business
throughout the village was practically
From every walk in life were those
who gathered to pay humble tribute
to the dead woman and it was plain that
she was enshrined in the hearts of many
as moist eyes and other evidences of
grief were manifested during the rem
dering of the impressive solemn
High Mass and requiem for the dead.
Father Shannon, the officiating clergy.
man, followed the Mass with a brief
lesson anent the occasion which called
such number of people together.
The bearers Were: Thomas Higgins,
Orlando Adams, Arlington; Edward
Higgins, Bennington; A. NJ. Coffin,
Boston; Charles Chamberlain, West
Rupert; Charles Welch, Troy, N. Y, and
George A. Goyett had charge of the ar
The tributes of flowers were elaborate
and profuse and testified to the legion
Of friends that Mrs. Higgins had not
only in her immediate circle but beyond
the lines of town and State. The inter-
ment was in the Catholic cemetery.