Edd Higby

Clarence Edward (Edd with two D's) Higby was born in Wright County, Missouri on April 11, 1943. He was the son of George and Opal Higby. Raised on a small farm North of Mountain Grove, he was fourth in line of the Higby kids: Jerry, Georgia, James, Kay, Janis, Peggy, Pamela, and baby Patricia who died in infancy.

Being raised dirt poor they all learned to work hard. Walking to and from a one room schoolhouse throughout their grade school years, Edd often recalled that these were his favorite school days. "We read Bible stories and prayed in that classroom," he said. His final years in school were in Mountain Grove where he graduated in 1961. He wasn't quite as fond of these years, as he often missed the bus and got in trouble with his own Dad.

Edd worked hard on the farm throughout his youth, learning to put up hay and tending to the animals they had on the farm. His true love, however, was helping his momma in the kitchen baking pies. Edd continued to bake pies for his neighbors and church community often. On his granddaughter’s birthday, he swung by the bank where she worked and sent her piece of pie secured in a Cool Whip bowl through the drive through window. This was Edd: Spontaneously blessing others with his sweet treats.

Upon graduation Edd went on to the University of Missouri with hope of pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. The finances and hatred for algebra led him in another direction.

On February 17, 1965, Edd joined the US Navy. He spent six years in the Navy aboard the USS Carpenter. He completed his basic training in San Diego, California and was later stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Navy took him to many countries, as he served in the height of the Vietnam War.

Home time was especially important to Edd. On one of his trips back home, he visited his sister Kay in Fort Wayne IN. Little did he know this visit would change his world forever. It was on this visit that he met one of Kay’s coworkers, Christina Davis, a pretty lady with cute ankles. His shenanigans won her heart. After four official dates and four months apart, they were married on June 18, 1966. Days later he was shipped off to Vietnam.

Their adventures took them many places, including Hawaii where their first little blessing, Michael Edward, was born in July of 1968. Later, in October of 1970, Daddys girl Laura Marie was born. Edd’s Navy career concluded on February 16, 1971, when he was honorably discharged. He returned to Ft. Wayne Indiana, where he became a member of the plumber and pipe fitter’s union, and worked until he took an opportunity in Gillette, Wyoming in 1980. Many adventures awaited in Wyoming, including weekend trips to the Bighorn Mountains, and elk hunting with his son Mike and his Uncle Deto Lawson.

Edd did well in Wyoming raising his kids and working all hours of the day for himself doing heating, air conditioning and refrigeration. In typical Edd fashion he didn't know when to stop or even slow down. Chris heard of a farm for sale a mile from his dad's farm and bought it, sight unseen, in hopes to move him home and slow him down. This is where they lived the remainder of their days, on that little farm they both loved so much, located between Jug Rock Holler and Rocky holler in Wright County. They kept the pond stocked and the front porch filled with sittin' places.

Edd worked as the maintenance man for Mountain Grove school district for several years, eventually retiring and going into business for himself. He was the 409 of men, an all- purpose handyman. He was brilliant; he could fix, rewire or repair anything and everything.

Edd and his bride Chris joined Evening Shade church and their hearts for the Lord grew leaps and bounds. Edd's motto later in life was "We don't work on Sundays it's reserved for the Lord." He lived by this motto the rest of the days of his life.

In December of 2018 Chris went to be with Jesus, and Edd longed to be with her everyday thereafter. He did well, continuing to work hard, witnessing daily and doing his best to bring his family and friends and strangers to the Lord. He valued family time more than anything. He loved the babies, ALL of the babies. Edd was known for several things: his love for the Lord, family, church, country, community, and especially leading others to the Lord. His welcoming smile, big hands and firm handshake, his drive to go, go, go, and his service to others. He had a knack for making a brand-new vehicle or piece of farm equipment look like it had a million miles on it in a short amount of time. Edd loved farm work, especially putting up hay. This was the last physical job he did before leaving this world; he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Edd is proceeded in death by many friends and family members to remember him fondly. His hope for all of them would be to "pray, always pray,” and to surrender their lives to Jesus and meet him in the morning on those streets of Gold.