The son of Louis E. and Catherine A. Devereux Higdon, Jim was born June 6, 1909, in Washington Township, Poweshiek County, Iowa. He attended rural school near his home and was a 1925 graduate of St. Ambrose Academy in Davenport. On September 28, 1939, he was married to Ruth Baustian, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Grinnell. The couple farmed on the family farm in Washington Township, which was recognized as a Century Farm in 1976, and for many years he was also employed as a substitute letter carrier. The couple later retired to Grinnell. Jim was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, where he was the oldest lifelong member of the catholic community in Grinnell, which includes both St. Columbanus and St. Mary's Catholic Churches. He was a charter member of the Knights of Columbus in Newton, a life member of the Grinnell Elks Lodge, and a fomer member of the Farm Bureau, and Holy Name Society. He served on the Grinnell-Newburg School Board and as a 4-H leader. Jim knew the value of hard work and took pride in his farming practices. He was a handyman and very creative. He could make and repair things, and enjoyed spending time in his shop while woodworking. He was a loyal Hawkeye fan and enjoyed watching basketball, football, wrestling, and golf. Survivors include his wife, Ruth of Grinnell; five children, Karen McNally of Grinnell, Robert of Sycamore, Illinois, Michael of North Pole, Alaska, Paul of Maple Grove, Minnesota, and Mark of Des Moines; one brother, John of Grinnell; one sister, Mildred Schmitz of Lake City, Iowa; eight grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; two step-great grandchildren; and one great great grandchild. Jim died February 21, 2007, at Grinnell Regional Medical Center, at the age of 97. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Frank and Joseph; and three sisters, Sister M. Annette Higdon, Sister M. Louise Higdon, and Elizabeth A. Goreham.