Mrs. Stella Higgins
A letter was received in this city last week, telling of the death of Mrs. Stella Shackford, wife of Wm. P. Higgins at Portland, Oregon, on Jan 10 [hand writing adding 1918].
Mrs. Higgins was the daughter of the late Capt. Benjamin and Mrs. Harriet Bibber Shackford of Eastport, and was born in this city a little more than sixty-three years ago.
She was married to Wm. P. Higgins Jan 13, 1876 and went with him to Oconto, Wis., where they made their home, until last August, when they moved to Portland to be with their children. [handwriting of Oregon]
Funeral services were conducted by First Presbyterian church of Tacoma, Wash., and internment was in Rose City Cemetery.
Mrs. Higgins is survived by her husband, one son Carroll Shackford, one daughter, Stella Louise, a sister, Mrs. Andrew Bradford, three nieces, all of Portland, and several cousins residing in this city. (Scrapbook (Scrapbook, ), Newspaper article, Mrs. Stella Higgins, digital images privately held by Border Historical Society, [address for private use], Eastport, Maine. Newspaper Article, source unknown. Scrapbook donated to Border Historical Society by Mrs Ruth Grant Pearson)
Stella Woodwell (Shackford) Higgins
Stella Woodwell Shackford was born August 25, 1853 in Eastport, Maine[i] to Benjamin Batson Shackford and Harriet Bibber. She was their youngest daughter, born nine years after the last sibling. She was 22 when she married William Pearce Higgins on January 12, 1876[ii]. William had grew up in Eastport, had enlisted in 26th Infantry Regiment, Company H on 11 October 1862[iii] when he was only 17. His unit served in Virginia and spent most of their time in Louisiana. William was only 18 when his unit mustered out in Bangor, Maine. He moved to Oconto, Wisconsin sometime before 1870 where he followed his father's trade of working as a carpenter[iv]. He returned to Eastport to marry Stella and they moved to Oconto where he continued to work as a carpenter. They lived there until 1917 when they moved to Portland, Oregon to be with their children. Stella died in Portland on January 10, 1918[v].
Children:
Annie Florence Higgins (1877-1878)
Stella Louise Higgins (1882-1964)
Carroll Shackford Higgins (1885-1968) - married Lucile H Hayes.
Unfortunately at this time we don't know much about Stella other than that fact that she made a major move from Maine to Wisconsin in 1876. Hopefully this blog can serve as a reminder of her life and a space where any additional information about her life can be added at a later daate.
Thanks again to the Ruth Grant Pearson for keeping a scrapbook of her ancestors and relatives and for the Border Historical Society for allowing me to share these photographs and documents in this blog.
[i] Maine State of Maine, "Maine, Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," index," database index, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 26 July 2013), Stella W Shackford, birth, 25 Apr 1853
[ii] Maine "Maine, Marriages, 1771-1907," database index, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 1 August 2013), Stella W Shackford m William P Higgins 13 Jan 1876
[iii] U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles," database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 October 2013), William P Higgins; Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the Civil WarGAR Dept of Massachusetts 1866-1947 (Sargent
[iv] 1870 United States Federal Census, Oconto County, Wisconsin, population schedule, City of Oconto, Page No 3, Wm Higgins; digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 24 October 2013)
[v] "Portland, Oregon Deaths, 1915-1924," index, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 October 2013), Stella S Higgins d Jan 10, 1918