Chester Lee Higgins
Funeral services for Chester Lee Higgins, of Hugo, Okla., were held at 10 a.m. April 4, 2023 at Miller & Miller Funeral Chapel. Chester passed away March 31, 2023, at the age of 74.
Chester Lee Higgins was born on March 22, 1949, in Hugo, Okla., the son of Walter Gatlin Higgins and Thelma Louise (Rhodes) Higgins. He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Jennifer Higgins; a great-granddaughter; brothers: Wesley Higgins, James Higgins and Tommy Landis; sister, Marie Smith; an aunt and uncle and two brothers-in-law.
Chester lived most of his life in the Hugo area and at the age of 17, he joined the US Army. He did his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and then went to Vietnam for 10 months. Chester returned home for one short month and during that time he married the love of his life, Joyce Logan. They were married on April 6, 1969 in their hometown of Hugo. He then had to return to Vietnam for eight months, upon his return to the states he was stationed in Fort Belvoir, Va., where he and Joyce resided for 10 months. After Chester was honorably discharged from the military, they moved back to the Hugo area where they have resided for the past 50 years.
Chester worked as an electrician throughout his life, working with companies such as Weyerhaeuser in Wright City, Okla., Brown and Root in Valliant, Okla., and Kimberly Clark in Paris, Texas. Before his retirement, he worked with J.E. Merritt and was the electrical foreman at Kimberly Clark for more than 20 years. He then started Choctaw Iron and Metal, which he ran for four years. Chester was onery and loved to pick on the people he loved but he was truly a giver and loved with all of his heart. His family meant everything to him, and he taught them to always help people just like he had throughout his life. His legacy will live on through his loving family and he will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
Chester is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Joyce Higgins of the home; sons: Walter Higgins and wife of Hugo and Brian Higgins of Hugo; daughter, Misty Higgins of Hugo; eight grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; sisters: Bertie McCann of Sulfur Springs, Texas, Linda Osburne of Sulfur Springs, Texas, Mella Rocha of Mt. Pleasant, Texas, and Oleta Elmore and husband of Hutchins, Texas; along with numerous cousins, nephews, nieces and a host of other friends, family and loved ones.
Interment followed the service at Goodland Cemetery with Bro. Doug McClure officiating, under the direction of Miller & Miller Funeral Home.
