Higgins, William B. 1914-1945

HIGGINS

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 9/2/2017 at 14:29:30

CAPTAIN HIGGINS OBITUARY, KILLED IN ACTION OVERSEAS

Whittemore: Memorial services were held Monday morning, Mar. 5, for Captain William B. Higgins at 9:30 in St. Michael's church, Rev. Wm. Veit officiating at the church service and the Seely-Walsh post, American Legion, conducting the military services.

Capt. William B. Higgins was killed in action in Germany on February 11 and only a few hours after he had written a letter to his wife and mother, according to the postmark on the last letters he wrote.

Was Whittemore Boy

William Bigley Higgins was born in Whittemore September 30, 1914, to Mr. and Mrs. William Higgins, and grew to manhood here. He attended Presentation Academy from which he graduated. He then attended Creighton University at Omaha where he took journalism. He worked one year as linotype operator in the eastern part of the state after which he purchased the Whittemore Champion and this he published until he was called to service. When he entered the service he had the rating of second lieutenant in the reserve officers' corps.

Inducted in 1942

Being inducted in March, 1942, he was sent to Fort Benning, Ga., for three months. He was then sent to Camp Adair, Oregon where he was promoted to first lieutenant after nine months in that camp. He was again sent back to Fort Benning, Ga., for one month's school and then to Camp Shelby, Miss., where he helped the 69th Division, then returned to Fort Benning for more school. He was assigned to Camp Shelby and was home in July, 1944, and spent his furlough with his wife and son, and with his mother. He was then ordered to report to Camp Meade, Md., and went immediately overseas and took part in the Normandy campaign, Brest and St. Lo. He was promoted to a captaincy before leaving the states.

Surviving are his wife, and son, Billy Pat, his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Higgins, and one sister, Mrs. Don Sylvester the latter of Sioux City.

Source: The Algona Upper DesMoines, March 8, 1945 (photo included)

Kossuth Obituaries maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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