Alyssa Hope Higgins Bargen 1952-1976

BARGEN, HIGGINS, KISNER, BECKHAM

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 9/22/2013 at 23:38:15

Former Local Woman, Child Die in Blaze
Chicago, Ill. – A former Estherville woman and her child died early today when fire swept through their second floor apartment on Chicago’s North Side.

The victims were identified as Alissa Bargen, 23, and Jeremiah Bargen, 4. Ms. Bargen is the daughter and Jeremiah Bargen the grandchild of Mr. and Mrs. Dean Higgins of Estherville.

A spokesperson for Illinois Masonic Hospital said they were dead on arrival at the hospital, reporting the cause of death as smoke inhalation, according to the Illinois Associated Press. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, January 8, 1976)

Mrs. Alyssa Bargen and Jeremiah Bargen
Estherville – Funeral services for Mrs. Alyssa Hope Bargen, 23, and Jeremiah Bargen, 4, both of Chicago, Ill., will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Henry Funeral Chapel in Estherville with the Rev. Paul Woodard of Des Moines officiating and burial at the Oak Hill Cemetery. They died on the morning of Jan. 8 in fire at Chicago.

Mrs. Bargen was born April 23, 1952 at Des Moines to Dean and Carol Kisner Higgins and was educated in Des Moines. She graduated from high school in 1970 and attended Iowa Lakes Community College. She was married to Mark Bargen June 6, 1970 at Des Moines and lived in Chicago from 1970 to 1973. After living in Estherville for a short time she returned to Chicago in November, 1975 and was employed as a secretary for the University of Chicago. She had attended the first Unitarian Church in Des Moines.

Survivors include her husband, Mark, Hartford, Conn.; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dean Higgins, Estherville; two sisters, Coleen, Chicago; and Bonnie, at home; one brother, Church, at home; paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Higgins, Creston; and maternal grandmother, Mrs. Ethel Kisner, Mason City. She was preceded in death by her grandfather.

Jeremiah Bargen was born Dec. 20, 1971 at Chicago to Mark and Alyssa Higgins Bargen. In addition to the maternal survivors, paternal survivors include grandparents, Ralph Bargen, Chicago, Des Moines; great grandparents, Mrs. Esther Bargen, North Newton, Kan., and Wick and Gladys Beckham, Wichita, Kan.

Friends may call at the Henry Funeral Home in Estherville. A memorial fund has been established at Iowa Lakes Community College for Mrs. Bargen. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, January 9, 1976 and January 12, 1976))