William Thomas (W. T.) Higginbotham, 87, of Hamburg, died Monday, February, 6, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, LA. Born in Hamburg on January 15, 1919, he was the son of the late Joe A. & Estelle White Higginbotham. A lifelong resident of Ashley County, Mr. Higgin-botham was an Army Air Force veteran of World War II earning the rank of master sergeant. After returning to Hamburg, he was associated with Higginbotham Motor Company, served as Ashley County Judge for 22 years and was president of the Wilmot State Bank. In recent years, he had been engaged in farming. A member of the First Baptist Church since 1929, he had been an active deacon and a junior boys Sunday school teacher. At the time of his death, he was the oldest continuous member of the church.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Gardner-Timberlake Post of the American Legion and was the first World War II veteran to serve as post commander. He was a former president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club and the Ashley County Fair Association; a former director of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and the Ashley County Sheltered Workshop, and served on the Southeast Arkansas Development Council and on the planning commission for Forest Echoes Vocational Technical School
In 1975, he received the Arkansas Community Development Exceptional Accomplishment Award for Leadership in Local Communities. In 1997, he was presented a 50 year service award by the officers of Prairie Lodge No. 465. He was also a 32nd Degree Mason and a Shriner.
An avid outdoorsman, he loved hunting and horseback riding. He was a member of H & H Deer Camp, the Kelley Place Bird Hunters and the Crossett Riding Club and a past president and 60 year member of the Prairie Country Club.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, the former Dorothy Rainwater, one daughter, Rebecca Lynn Higginbotham Murphy and husband Robert D. Murphy, Jr.; three grandchildren, Robert D. Murphy, III, Rebecca Smith Murphy and Erin Elizabeth Murphy, all of Houston, Texas; one sister, Agnes Higginbotham Wheldon of Chebeague Island, Maine; three nieces and six nephews.
In addition to his parents, a sister, Dorene Higginbotham Sherrill, and two brothers, Travis L. Higginbotham and Joe A. Higginbotham, preceded him in death.
Funeral services were at 2 p.m., Thursday, February 9, in the First Baptist Church with Dr. Bobby Pennington and Rev. Klois Hargis officiating. Burial followed services at Pinewood Memorial Park. Pallbearers were Philip and Gerald Lauhon, Shan Streeter, Dewey “Scutter” Kilcrease, Bill Norsworthy, Bill Bonds, Kirby Cockrum, Allen and Steven Wilcoxon, John Young, Joe Foote, Stanton Veazey, Travis and Emmitt Wallace, Alan and Wayne Davis, Charles “Bull” Wells and Reagan Craig.
Memorials may be made to the Hamburg High School Scholarship Fund, c/o Mrs. Polly Lochala, P. O. Box 30, Hamburg, AR 71646 or to First Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 352, Hamburg, AR 71646 or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Funeral services were under the direction of Jones-Hartshorn Funeral Home
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Gardner-Timberlake Post of the American Legion and was the first World War II veteran to serve as post commander. He was a former president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club and the Ashley County Fair Association; a former director of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and the Ashley County Sheltered Workshop, and served on the Southeast Arkansas Development Council and on the planning commission for Forest Echoes Vocational Technical School
In 1975, he received the Arkansas Community Development Exceptional Accomplishment Award for Leadership in Local Communities. In 1997, he was presented a 50 year service award by the officers of Prairie Lodge No. 465. He was also a 32nd Degree Mason and a Shriner.
An avid outdoorsman, he loved hunting and horseback riding. He was a member of H & H Deer Camp, the Kelley Place Bird Hunters and the Crossett Riding Club and a past president and 60 year member of the Prairie Country Club.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, the former Dorothy Rainwater, one daughter, Rebecca Lynn Higginbotham Murphy and husband Robert D. Murphy, Jr.; three grandchildren, Robert D. Murphy, III, Rebecca Smith Murphy and Erin Elizabeth Murphy, all of Houston, Texas; one sister, Agnes Higginbotham Wheldon of Chebeague Island, Maine; three nieces and six nephews.
In addition to his parents, a sister, Dorene Higginbotham Sherrill, and two brothers, Travis L. Higginbotham and Joe A. Higginbotham, preceded him in death.
Funeral services were at 2 p.m., Thursday, February 9, in the First Baptist Church with Dr. Bobby Pennington and Rev. Klois Hargis officiating. Burial followed services at Pinewood Memorial Park. Pallbearers were Philip and Gerald Lauhon, Shan Streeter, Dewey “Scutter” Kilcrease, Bill Norsworthy, Bill Bonds, Kirby Cockrum, Allen and Steven Wilcoxon, John Young, Joe Foote, Stanton Veazey, Travis and Emmitt Wallace, Alan and Wayne Davis, Charles “Bull” Wells and Reagan Craig.
Memorials may be made to the Hamburg High School Scholarship Fund, c/o Mrs. Polly Lochala, P. O. Box 30, Hamburg, AR 71646 or to First Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 352, Hamburg, AR 71646 or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Funeral services were under the direction of Jones-Hartshorn Funeral Home
William Thomas (W. T.) Higginbotham, 87, of Hamburg, died Monday, February, 6, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, LA. Born in Hamburg on January 15, 1919, he was the son of the late Joe A. & Estelle White Higginbotham. A lifelong resident of Ashley County, Mr. Higgin-botham was an Army Air Force veteran of World War II earning the rank of master sergeant. After returning to Hamburg, he was associated with Higginbotham Motor Company, served as Ashley County Judge for 22 years and was president of the Wilmot State Bank. In recent years, he had been engaged in farming. A member of the First Baptist Church since 1929, he had been an active deacon and a junior boys Sunday school teacher. At the time of his death, he was the oldest continuous member of the church.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Gardner-Timberlake Post of the American Legion and was the first World War II veteran to serve as post commander. He was a former president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club and the Ashley County Fair Association; a former director of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and the Ashley County Sheltered Workshop, and served on the Southeast Arkansas Development Council and on the planning commission for Forest Echoes Vocational Technical School
In 1975, he received the Arkansas Community Development Exceptional Accomplishment Award for Leadership in Local Communities. In 1997, he was presented a 50 year service award by the officers of Prairie Lodge No. 465. He was also a 32nd Degree Mason and a Shriner.
An avid outdoorsman, he loved hunting and horseback riding. He was a member of H & H Deer Camp, the Kelley Place Bird Hunters and the Crossett Riding Club and a past president and 60 year member of the Prairie Country Club.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, the former Dorothy Rainwater, one daughter, Rebecca Lynn Higginbotham Murphy and husband Robert D. Murphy, Jr.; three grandchildren, Robert D. Murphy, III, Rebecca Smith Murphy and Erin Elizabeth Murphy, all of Houston, Texas; one sister, Agnes Higginbotham Wheldon of Chebeague Island, Maine; three nieces and six nephews.
In addition to his parents, a sister, Dorene Higginbotham Sherrill, and two brothers, Travis L. Higginbotham and Joe A. Higginbotham, preceded him in death.
Funeral services were at 2 p.m., Thursday, February 9, in the First Baptist Church with Dr. Bobby Pennington and Rev. Klois Hargis officiating. Burial followed services at Pinewood Memorial Park. Pallbearers were Philip and Gerald Lauhon, Shan Streeter, Dewey “Scutter” Kilcrease, Bill Norsworthy, Bill Bonds, Kirby Cockrum, Allen and Steven Wilcoxon, John Young, Joe Foote, Stanton Veazey, Travis and Emmitt Wallace, Alan and Wayne Davis, Charles “Bull” Wells and Reagan Craig.
Memorials may be made to the Hamburg High School Scholarship Fund, c/o Mrs. Polly Lochala, P. O. Box 30, Hamburg, AR 71646 or to First Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 352, Hamburg, AR 71646 or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Funeral services were under the direction of Jones-Hartshorn Funeral Home
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Gardner-Timberlake Post of the American Legion and was the first World War II veteran to serve as post commander. He was a former president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club and the Ashley County Fair Association; a former director of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and the Ashley County Sheltered Workshop, and served on the Southeast Arkansas Development Council and on the planning commission for Forest Echoes Vocational Technical School
In 1975, he received the Arkansas Community Development Exceptional Accomplishment Award for Leadership in Local Communities. In 1997, he was presented a 50 year service award by the officers of Prairie Lodge No. 465. He was also a 32nd Degree Mason and a Shriner.
An avid outdoorsman, he loved hunting and horseback riding. He was a member of H & H Deer Camp, the Kelley Place Bird Hunters and the Crossett Riding Club and a past president and 60 year member of the Prairie Country Club.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, the former Dorothy Rainwater, one daughter, Rebecca Lynn Higginbotham Murphy and husband Robert D. Murphy, Jr.; three grandchildren, Robert D. Murphy, III, Rebecca Smith Murphy and Erin Elizabeth Murphy, all of Houston, Texas; one sister, Agnes Higginbotham Wheldon of Chebeague Island, Maine; three nieces and six nephews.
In addition to his parents, a sister, Dorene Higginbotham Sherrill, and two brothers, Travis L. Higginbotham and Joe A. Higginbotham, preceded him in death.
Funeral services were at 2 p.m., Thursday, February 9, in the First Baptist Church with Dr. Bobby Pennington and Rev. Klois Hargis officiating. Burial followed services at Pinewood Memorial Park. Pallbearers were Philip and Gerald Lauhon, Shan Streeter, Dewey “Scutter” Kilcrease, Bill Norsworthy, Bill Bonds, Kirby Cockrum, Allen and Steven Wilcoxon, John Young, Joe Foote, Stanton Veazey, Travis and Emmitt Wallace, Alan and Wayne Davis, Charles “Bull” Wells and Reagan Craig.
Memorials may be made to the Hamburg High School Scholarship Fund, c/o Mrs. Polly Lochala, P. O. Box 30, Hamburg, AR 71646 or to First Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 352, Hamburg, AR 71646 or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Funeral services were under the direction of Jones-Hartshorn Funeral Home
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