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Amy (Amelia Pearl Stewart) Higginson
 
8th grade graduation photo. circ 1924 and Amy in 2011.
Amelia (Amy) Pearl Stewart was born April 10th 1911 to
George Herbert and Margaret Louise Stewart. Amy was the second child
of Herb and Margie and the second generation born in Douglas County
Colorado. She was born on the Jackson Creek Ranch near Sedalia,
Colorado in Douglas County. This was the home of her
Grandparents Newton and Pearl Grout. Herb was managing the ranch
for Pearl at that time. In 1915 he and Margie established the West
View Ranch a few miles east of the Jackson Creek Ranch where they
raised their six children. Amy had an older sister Margaret,
younger sisters Helen, Beth and Jean and a brother George Herbert Jr.
Amy has many happy memories of her childhood on West View Ranch.
St. Phillips in the Field Church was always been a large part of her
life beginning with her Baptism and later Confirmation at the little
church. Her Grandfather Newton Grout built this church. Her Great
Grandmother Margaret James and Grandmother Pearl James Grout were
instrumental in starting and maintaining the Bear Canyon Cemetery.
Amy had approximately 140 relatives buried in the cemetery. She
continued to carry on the tradition of decorating the graves as her
mother and grandmother did on Memorial Day using artificial flowers
instead of the lovely wild flower wreaths that she and her relatives
made for many years.
Amy started the first grade of school at the first Lone Tree School
house and graduated from eighth grade from the second Lone Tree School
which is still standing off of highway 105. She attended Cantril
Grade School in Castle Rock, Colorado part of the third grade, all of
the fourth and part of the fifth. She graduated from Douglas
County High School in Castle Rock, Colorado in 1928. Amy
attended Parks Business College graduating in 1929 and later she
acquired an accounting certificate.
She worked as a secretary and accountant for three businesses in
Denver, Colorado. Performing office and secretary duties plus doing
the accounting for two firms. During the school year of 1932 and 1933
she worked for the Douglas County School Superintendent where she
managed the School’s Book System which included assigning and
retrieving school books for each child in the school system.
Amy married Russell Higginson June 15, 1933 at her parents’ home on
the West View Ranch. They had a lovely honeymoon in Ouray,
Colorado after which they lived on the Higginson Ranch north of Palmer
Lake, Colorado for a short time. They had a very loving marriage for
almost 75 years.
As Russell had a degree in Animal Husbandry, most of their life
together was spent in the ranching business. Prior to buying and
returning to the Higginson home ranch near Palmer Lake, Colorado in
1949, they made their homes in Akron, Eagle, Monument, Steamboat
Springs and Castle Rock, Colorado as well as Watsonville, California.
Eighty acres of the original Higginson ranch which is in a private
Conservation Easement is still owned by the family.
Amy and Russell had 2 daughters Shirley and Beverly. These girls
were born while they lived in Monument. They also had 7
grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.
Many of these heirs live in Douglas County.
In July of 1958 Russell caught his right arm in a hay baler which
resulted in the right arm being amputated. This life changing
event showed the strength and courage of Amy during his recovery and
years to come. She literally became his right hand helper for
the next 50 years. This required many hours assisting him in
many activities. Amy always stopped her work and with a smile went to
his aid when he needed her.
Amy enjoyed many activities during her long life. She always had
a vegetable garden where she raised and preserved much of the family’s
food. She enjoyed flowers and had many flower beds around their homes.
She planted a Peace Rose that is almost sixty years old and continues
to have many blossoms each year.
Amy made most of her daughters and her own clothing including both of
her daughters’ wedding dresses. Before her eyesight failed, she
enjoyed reading, embroidery, crocheting, helping with the cattle,
camping and traveling. She enjoyed baking cookies for family and
friends. Her tradition of including as many as 20 family members
to make Christmas Cookies lasted for almost 50 years. Since
losing her eyesight Amy made over 200 fleece blankets for family,
friends and charity.
Amy has been active in The Little Log Church since 1949, the Order of
Eastern Star for sixty-seven years, Home Demonstration Clubs of Palmer
Lake and Larkspur for twenty years. She also participated in the
Douglas County Republican Club.
After their retirement in 1972 Amy and Russell were able to travel to
all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, Scotland, England and Wales. They
enjoyed traveling with friends and relatives. They spent sixteen
winters in Apache Junction, Arizona after exploring other locations
for warm winters. Many trips were enjoyed with her family listening to
waves and picking up sea shells on both coasts, shuffling through
beautiful fall leaves in New England and showing grandchildren the
wonders of Canada and Mexico.
Amy was blessed with physical and mental health. She was a 26
year breast cancer survivor and had a heart attack which resulted in
open heart surgery at the age of 91. Other than being legally blind,
hearing loss and arthritis she had no other major health issues.
Amy and Russell moved from Castle Rock to live with their daughter
Beverly and her husband Bill Noe in 2003. Life without Russell
since 2008 had been lonely but enjoyable with family near and small
children to keep the smile on her face. Amy attributed her longevity
to LOVE --the love given to and received from the Lord, her husband,
family and friends.
Amy was able to celebrate her one hundredth birthday April 10, 2011
with over one hundred family and friends. All five generations were
there to help celebrate her life. She died May 4, 2011 after a
short illness at the home of her daughter and son in-law Beverly and
Bill Noe. She was buried next to her beloved Russell in the
Higginson family plot at Bear Canyon Cemetery near Sedalia, Colorado.
Beverly Higginson Noe, 5/2011
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