Obituary of Patricia Anne Higgins

Patricia Anne Higgins, 85, passed on to her Heavenly Father surrounded by her loving family on November 16, 2014 in Twin Falls, Idaho. Born on October 31, 1929 in Nampa, Idaho to Kenneth and Georgia (Stanwood) Van Dorn, and was a loving older sister to Donna (Van Dorn) Bolte. When she was four years old, mom contracted polio, which settled in her broken right arm, and she effectively lost use of her right hand for life. She was sent alone to Shriner’s Hospital in Portland for treatments for months at a time over a period of several years. These repeated separations from her family instilled a quiet strength that allowed her to deal with adversity with grace throughout her life. Mom and her family moved to Gooding, Idaho in 1945 where her dad established a blacksmith shop. She attended the College of Idaho and married her high school sweetheart, Ray Thompson in 1951. She lived the life of a minister’s wife for many years as her children were born, and returned to graduate from Boise State with a teaching degree in 1968. Mom taught school in Sandy, Oregon for five years, then taught reading and English in Buhl for a year and O’Leary Jr. High in Twin Falls for 20 years. She taught English as a Second Language to countless refugees at CSI, giving them the skills to succeed in their new lives in Twin Falls. After her first marriage ended, Mom was fortunate to find love multiple times in her life. She was happily married to Charles Christensen until his death (1992), Charlie Perry until his death (2003), and then to Jim Higgins until his death in 2012. She held each of her husbands dear to her heart, and handled the loss of each one with strength and grace. During her last years, she and Dad reconciled, and they were good companions for each other over the past two years, a true testament to the power of Christian love and forgiveness. Most important in her life were her three children, Tim, Terry, and Tammy. She was a fun and loving mom, and was always available for us. She encouraged us in all our activities, always telling us how proud she was of us and our families as they grew. Mom was a dedicated and loving grandma to seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She was very involved in their activities; taught them countless life lessons; and, offered a lasting impression of strength in Christian faith. Mom was a member of the United Methodist Church her whole adult life and was very active in the various organizations of the church and Sunday School. She was also a member of the PEO Sisterhood. Mom is survived by her former husband and companion Ray Thompson, children Dr. Tim (Sylvia) Thompson of Twin Falls; Terry Thompson of Homer, AK; Tammy (Roger) Martin of McMinville, OR. Grandkids Aaron (Sarah) Thompson, Nathan (Tasha) Thompson, Scott (Kelsey – fiancée) Thompson, Vanessa (Adrian) Montgomery, Nick (Arwen) Martin, Chris (Shayna) Martin, and Ben Martin; five great grandkids, Jake, Katie, Jackson, Avery, and Duncan; nieces Ann (John) Thornton, Barbara Thomas, nephew Jon Bolte, and former daughter-in-law Gayle Bean. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister and brother-law, Donna and Bob Bolte, and three husbands. The family is especially grateful to mom’s caregivers, Dr. Desmond, Dr. P, the nurses and staff at St. Luke’s and MSTI, her daily helpers, and Ena, Gabby, and Dad for all their help with Mom these past several years. Mom was a lifelong friend to all who knew her, and struggled to go anywhere in town without running into a good friend. Her memorial service will be Saturday, Nov. 22, at 11:00 am at the Rosenau Funeral Chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 360 Shoshone St. E. Twin Falls, or the American Cancer Society.