Higman

HIGMAN BROWN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/21/2010 at 23:09:56

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Higman
By Edgar Higman

John Higman, born 1817 at Lands End, Cornwall, England, emigrated to Steuben County, New York state in 1841 where he married Clarissa Brown whose antecedents came to this country in 1626. This couple produced eight children, two of whom came to Sioux City, one to make his mark on the city and leave, the other to stay.

Comfort Brown Higman, born 1857 at Caton, New York, married Myra E Clute in Corning, New York. She was descended from Johannes Clute who settled near Albany, New York before 1700. This couple lived for a short time at St Joseph, Michigan, before following his older brother, Will E, to Sioux City in 1882. Their offspring were three girls and a boy. Grace became Mrs Edmund Towns, Florence died at age three. Helen became Mrs Earl Snell and the son was Mark Clute Higman. All three spent their lives and raised their families in Sioux City. Only Helen retired to Florida for a few years.

Mark Higman, born June 1, 1885, married Mabel Austin, born August 12, 1885, in 1911. She was a daughter of Thomas Austin and Marie Gauchet. Of Scots-Irish descent, Thomas came to this country as a boy with his family from Belfast, Ireland, in about 1841 and settled on a farm near Dubuque, Iowa. Marie was a first generation Swiss-American of French descent. This union produced twelve children, six of whom reached adulthood. The youngest three, including Mabel, were born on a farm near Adaville, Plymouth County, Iowa, where the family had moved in about 1881.

Mark and Mabel Higman had five children. The first, Comfort, died shortly after birth. The second, Helen, died of appendicitis at age two. The last three, Edgar S Higman, Harold C Higman and Hazel Myra Yeager are alive at this writing.

Edgar Higman, born at Waterbury, Nebraska, on April 8, 1915, married Floy Shirley Rounds, October 24, 1934. They have lived in Sioux City – he but for a few months – all of their lives. He served on the Sioux City Fire Department rising through the ranks to become Sioux City’s fifth paid fire chief. During World War II he served two years with the First Calvary Division. This couple produced three children: Harley Mark, Barbara F and Lynne Anne.

Harley Higman was born January 11, 1936, and died January 15, 1978. He married F Joyce Rudisill in 1958 after serving four years in the United States Air Force. They adopted Amy Jo at birth in 1970.

Barbara F Higman married Leslie A Rasmussen and they had three children: Mark W, Brian K and Tracie Lynne.

Mark Rasmussen married Claudia Lewison and their children are Randy, Ryan and Kerrie Jo.

Brian Rasmussen is unmarried.

Tracie Rasmussen married Kraig Allen.

Lynne Anne Higman, born with a heart defect, died at six weeks.

Harold Clute Higman, born in Sioux City on October 11, 1916, married Pearle H Jorgensen, August 24, 1940. They lived in Sioux City until 1942 when they moved to a site near Westfield, Iowa. There they had established a successful and on-going sand and gravel operation that now involves their children, also. Their children are: Harold C, Jr, David P and Marrianne I.

Harold Higman, Jr, married Sue Kadous and they have three sons: Justin, Jared and Joel.

David P Higman married Joan Wall and they have Halley and Tyler.

Marrianne Higman married John Siefer and they have Jeremiah and Joshua. All live in Plymouth County, Iowa.

Hazel Myra Higman born in Sioux City on September 11, 1919, met Philip B Yeager while both were U S Navy personnel during World War II. They married and have lived in the Washington, D C, area ever since. His working life has mostly been spent in government service and she, for many years, was a counselor in the Arlington, Virginia, school system. They have three children: Mary V, Mark P and Scott B.

Mary Yeager married Ben Hubbard and they have Cheryl and Jennifer. Dr Mark Yeager married Marie Barry and Dr Scott Yeager married Christine Packard and they have Abigail.