1926-2026
Raymond Eugene Higgins, 99, of Lyons, Kansas, died July 24, 2026. He was born on November 7, 1926, the son of Walter and Jessie Goodfellow Higgins. Apart from the years spent in military service, he lived his entire life in Lyons.
Raymond attended Lyons schools, graduating from Lyons High School with the class of 1944. He was the last surviving member of that class. Immediately after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Navy. Following basic training, he attended rear gunnery school. Due to his excellence in coursework, he was chosen to be a gunnery instructor at the Naval base in Melbourne, Florida. There, he flew reconnaissance missions from Florida to Cuba defending against submarine invasions. He was Honorably Discharged in 1946 with a rank of Seaman First Class.
Following the war, he continued in the Navy Reserves, serving as a Seabee in the United States Naval Construction Battalion. He returned to Lyons, where he was employed by Tobias and Birchenough as a heavy equipment operator, using the skills he learned as a Seabee. During this time, he got his pilot’s license and developed a love of flying that continued through his life.
He married Betty Young on January 12, 1953, and joined her family’s business, Young Motor Company, where he sold hundreds of Chevrolet cars and trucks over the years. In 1955, he took up farming at his family homestead north of Mitchell—continuing to sell Chevrolets in the winter months to customers who bought vehicles from him for decades. He built a farming operation that thrived through his retirement.
Raymond was always willing to lend a hand to friends and neighbors—loaning equipment when others broke down, plowing snow, assisting with church maintenance and fixing just about anything that needed fixing. He loved telling stories and sharing laughs, making new friends everywhere he went. As one friend said, “I’ve never met a person with more friends.”
He enjoyed travel and seeing new places, including regular trips to see his daughters and their families. In later years, some of his favorite times were spent on South Padre Island for month-long winter breaks.
He was married to Betty for 52 years until her death in 2005. They raised three daughters in Lyons. He later married Norma Robl Miller of Lyons, and they shared nearly 18 years together until her death in 2025.
Raymond is survived by his daughters: Susan (John) Branch of Dallas; Jane (Chris) Wooldridge of Kansas City; and Kayrin (Tim) Stovall of Chesapeake, Virginia. He has five grandchildren: Evin (Ashley) Stovall of Savannah; Anna Stovall of Graz, Austria; Austin (Scharli) Branch of Fort Worth; Libby Wooldridge and Frances (Vance) Wentz of Kansas City, as well as three great-grandchildren and another great-grandchild on the way.
He also shared a close relationship with the family of his second wife, Norma, many of whom live near Lyons and became an important part of his life and family.
Visitation will take place at Birzer Funeral Home, Lyons, on Monday, August 3, 4:00 to 6:00 P.M., with a rosary at 6:00 P.M. The funeral Mass will be Tuesday, August 4, 10:00 A.M., at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Lyons. Burial will follow at the Lyons Municipal Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lyons Bell and Star fund in care of Birzer Funeral Home, Lyons.
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