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5/5/09
It is with great sadness we pass on news that Hilda Higgins (wife of Leo Higgins) passed away. Following is the announcement from the Bangordailynews.com >>
| Hilda Marie (Barry) Higgins | ||
BANGOR - Hilda Marie (Barry) Higgins,
82, wife of Leo J. Higgins Sr., died peacefully May 2, 2009, surrounded by
her loving family at home. She was born May 8, 1926, in Bangor, the
daughter of Frank and Irene Agnes (Brideau) Barry. Hilda attended St.
John's Catholic School and John Bapst High School. She had a deep faith in
God and her Catholic religion. Hilda had a deep passion for her family and
all that she loved and believed in. She also had a loving and generous
heart. She enjoyed life's moments to the fullest making sure to leave many
great memories to anyone and all that knew her. Hilda gave endlessly of
herself throughout her time on God's Earth. She volunteered for many years
at St. Mary's School when her own children were young and supported many
fundraising events for the school through her involvement in St. Mary's
School "Coffee Party Performances," school fairs and the parent teacher
organization. She was active for many years as a member of the John Bapst
High School Quarterback Club, supporting the needs of the school and
athletic teams whenever called upon to do so. She was instrumental in
efforts to keep John Bapst High School open as a Catholic high school when
the dioceses had to close it in 1980; she led a committee working to keep
it open as a Catholic high school. She even called the Vatican in Rome to
discuss this decision with the Pope. Hilda worked for a short time at
Viner Shoe Factory, Hancock Street, after high school before meeting and
marrying the love of her life, Leo J. Higgins Sr., and raising a family of
13 children. She was the president of the United Cerebral Palsy Auxiliary
for many years and led fundraising efforts for children and families
affected by cerebral palsy. She was a member of Maine Central Railroad
Auxiliary for more than 30 years. Being the wife of a railroad engineer,
she enjoyed working for this organization because it gave her great pride
to help raise funds and scholarships for charities and individuals in
need. Hilda also took great pride in her country and felt humbled with her
civic duty to serve as an election clerk for local voting polls in Bangor
for many years. Hilda was a matriarch for her family of 13 children. She
loved to spend time with her husband, children, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren. She also loved to sing and dance, and talked of once
sharing the dance floor with Fred Astaire as a young girl attending a
ballroom dance with her family. Once her children were grown, Hilda
realized her talent for artistry and painted many oil paintings of nature,
her children and grandchildren. Hilda especially loved spending time at
her camp on Beech Hill Pond and going for rides on the lake on her party
boat. Hilda was able to get her wish to go for one last "party boat" ride
on the Penobscot River this past week with her family. Hilda is survived
by her loving husband of 63 years, Leo J. Higgins Sr. of Bangor; her
daughter-in-law, Lucy Higgins and grandson, James, of Bangor; son, Barry
Higgins and fiancee, Nancy Miller, of Connecticut, and grandchildren,
Nick, Carissa, David, Keri, Angela and Sara; son, Richard Higgins and
wife, Gale, of Pittsburg, Calif., and granddaughter, Leanna; daughter,
Irene Higgins of Bradley; daughter, Cynthia Prescott and husband, David,
of Newburgh and granddaughters, Theresa and Jaime; daughter, Cheryl
Higgins of Bangor; daughter, Patricia Delong and husband, Ross, of
Orrington and grandchildren, Christie, Brad and Adam; daughter, Tammie
Higgins and her partner, Sherri Brackett, of Bowdoinham; son, Mark Higgins
and wife, Pauline, of Bangor and granddaughters, Ashley, Rachel and
Madison; son, John Higgins and wife, Kristy, of Glenburn and grandsons,
J.J. and Wilson; son, Tim Higgins and wife, Kristine, of Glenburn and
granddaughters, Emily and Katherine; son, Peter Higgins and fiancee,
Denise D'Amboise, of Bangor and granddaughter, Morgan; daughter, Jackie
Ireland and husband, Lew, of Brewer and grandchildren, Alexis and Garrett;
10 great-grandchildren; and special friends, Tammie Thayer and Bob
Cadorette. Hilda was predeceased by her son, Leo J. Higgins Jr., Feb. 10,
1999. She will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by her family, many
close friends and relatives. Friends may call 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday,
May 5, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor. A Mass of Christian
burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 6, at St. John's Catholic
Church, 207 York St., Bangor. Interment will be at Mount Pleasant
Cemetery, Bangor. Gifts in Hilda's memory may be made to the Leo J.
Higgins Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund, care of Mel MacKay, John Bapst
Memorial High School, 100 Broadway, Bangor, ME
04401. | ||
Friends may call 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, at Brookings-Smith, 133
Center St., Bangor. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 11 a.m.
Wednesday, May 6, at St. John's Catholic Church, 207 York St., Bangor. Interment
will be at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Bangor. Gifts in Hilda's memory may be made
to the Leo J. Higgins Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund, care of Mel MacKay, John
Bapst Memorial High School, 100 Broadway, Bangor, ME 04401.
Thank you for
offering to post an announcement on the 243rd webpage. I know that would
mean a lot to Leo.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE!
Here's and article that was in the Lowell, MA Sun about the 62nd reunion of the 243rd.
By Robert Mills
WESTFORD -- They were much younger men then. Gathered from
They crossed the Atlantic aboard the historic Queen
Elizabeth oceanliner, without escort, and learned they would join the
They crossed the beaches of
The men of Army's 243rd Field Artillery Battalion would
fight in
They fired well over 5,000 artillery shells, took part in
12 major battles, including the infamous
The men of the 243rd, mostly from
This year they gathered in Westford, where Betsy Gildroy, owner of the Westford Regency, hosted the men and their families for free.
Gildroy's father, Capt. Robert E. Lee, served with the unit. He died in 1962.
The years have taken all but 20 or so men from the 243rd. Ten came to dinner on Saturday night.
Walking to a group picture takes some time. Memories of their war days have faded.
George "Wes" Hamblen, of
"We went all through it," Hamblen said of the war in
The unit's 8-inch guns could fire about 20 miles. Hamblen recalls airplanes going out to spot the areas the guns were shelling.
He was shot in the back by a sniper. He earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. But the details of how get muddled.
Hamblen said it was decades ago. But together, the men recall their years at war.
"Each one of us remembers something different that happened to us," he said.
Elmer "Tug" Graffam, of
"We were lucky, the war ended in August, so we got to come home," he said.
He nudges Leo Higgins, of
Higgins' daughter, Tammy Higgins, said that's one of the best parts of the reunions. These guys don't usually talk much about their war days.
"At home, they've never talked about it, but at these (reunions) I learn so much," she said.
The reunions consist of mostly family members now.
Those like Gildroy, and Steve O'Rourke of
Gildroy was 18 when her father died. She remembers old Army buddies coming to visit when she was a child.
In 2004, she got a box full of mementos from a relative, and learned about the reunions. She attended last year, and offered to host this year's reunion.
She met a sergeant who had driven her father to the front lines (the artillery would shoot from several miles back). He recalled how her father wanted to get closer and closer to the front, until he had to refuse to go further.
"They really are what Tom Brokaw said, the greatest generation," Gildroy said.
The men and their families were joined by Jean-Louis
Pironio, an official from
Rombas, a town of about 11,000 not far from the German border, has a monument to the 243rd, credited with liberating the town.
Rombas' mayor wrote the unit in 2006, so many decades later, still thanking all the men for their service.
"Your presence among us was one of the greatest events in the history of our town," wrote Mayor Lionel Fournier. "Indeed, you gave us back the most precious thing we had lost: our liberty."
The remaining men of the 243rd don't have an easy time getting around now. But the reunions remain important. On Saturday night, following dinner, they voted to meet again next year.
Another son or daughter will plan the event, just like O'Rourke did this year.
Why?
"I think it's important to keep these guys appreciated," O'Rourke said.
For previous GUEST BOOK entries, click <HERE> (June 2004 through October 2005) . I have relisted the contents from the guest book that we had on-line a while ago.
State Hwy 243 between Minnesota and Wisconsin over the
St. Croix River
1945
243rd - Page 1
243rd - Page 2
243rd - Page 3
243rd - Page 4
243rd - Page 5
243rd - Page 6
243rd - Page 7
243rd - Page 8
243rd - Page 9
Click on "back" button to return to this page when done.
| 243rd Route (West) | 243rd Route (Middle) | 243rd Route (East) |
| 243rd HQ Route |
| 1942 A-Battery (Mississippi) | 8-Inch Gun | 8-Inch Gun (firing) |
| 1942 B-Battery (Mississippi) | ||
| 1942 B-Battery (N Carolina) | ||
| 1942 HQ-Battery (Mississippi) |
| 8-Inch @ Ft. Sill #1 | 8-Inch @ Ft.Sill #2 | 8-Inch @ Ft.Sill #3 |
| 8-Inch @ Ft.Sill #4 | 8-Inch @ Ft.Sill #5 | 8-Inch @ Ft.Sill #6 |
Here's Carol's website for the 736th FA BTN:
http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/~ebgschol/index.html
Links to other sites of interest:
Brothers-In-Arms website:
Dedicated to Thomas D. Curry and the men he served
with in F Company, 331st Infantry, 83rd Division.
http://www.ncweb.com/~davecurry/
http://www.ncweb.com/~davecurry/brothers/links.html
"BEFORE YOU GO"
by Dr. Sam and the Managed Care
Blues Band
Song dedicated to WWII vets

Link to Rombas France memorial to the 243rd
Rombas memorial to the 243rd
Ville de Rombas (Moselle - France)
http://www.rombas.com/
October 2000 Reunion - St. Paul / Minneapolis Minnesota
Last updated: November 6, 2008
Counter reset: June 9, 2007 17:30CDT
ROLITE CAMPER LINK? <ROLITE>
As the owner of a 1969 Rolite, I have struggled to
find information to restore my camper. Click on the above link to
bring you to a sub-directory on this server where I will put more information.
- To providing students with the opportunity
to explore archery as a life-time sport.
- To teach respect and values by exemplifying
responsible behavior.
- To serve as stewards for the natural resources
and the hunting community.
More:
http://www.JGCAP.org
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/sepoct03/firsthunt.html
Learning to Hunt -- Article
from St. Paul Pioneer Press Newspaper