Phillip Higdon

Bethany Democrat Thu Feb 7 1907 page 8

Philip Higdon was born in Franklin County, Indiana, April 9, 1846. He came to Harrison County, Missouri, in the early seventies and remained here until the fall of 1903, when after spending the winter in Butler county, Kansas, he located at Winona, Shannon county, Mo., where he was living at the time of his death January 18, 1907.

On January 15th, he started to go on horseback to Winona. As he was crossing a pond in the road the horse threw him (whether accidently or not is unknown.) into the water and although almost drowned he was able to get out and walk home over a mile away; but the water he had taken into his lungs and the exposure caused congestion of the lungs which resulted in his death three days later.

He enlisted in the 184 Indiana Volunteer Infantry May 7, 1864 at the age of 18 and was honorably discharged Sept. 2.

He was married to Mary A. Bryant, of Bethany, Mo., Feb. 4, 1875, who with three sons and five daughters is left to mourn the loss of a kind and gentle husband and father. For many years he had been an active member of the Christian church, and his life was a living example of the kindness, charity, and unselfishness taught by the meek and lowly Nazerene.

Four of the children, Hobart and Judie Higdon and Mrs. Grace Cooper, of Winona, and Mrs. S.D. Stanley, of Melbourne, Mo., were with him at the time of his death.

Hugh and Joe Higdon of Potwin, Kansas, arrived on the morning of the twentieth.

Two of the children, Mrs. Emma Orton, of Burlington, Kansas, and Mrs. Gilly Maxwell of Melbourne, Mo. were unable to come.

After short funeral services he was laid to rest in the Winona cemetery at 3 o'clock Sunday the 20th.