Relatively Speaking

This is my great-grandma Emily Ida Crabtree, great-grandpa John Crabtree and their daughter Mary Ida Crabtree, my great aunt.

Wilber Lee Higginson was the daughter of James L. Higgins. James was the son of Edward and Mary Donaldson Higginson and also the brother of my great grandmother Emily Ida Higginson Crabtree.

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John Crabtree in his shoeshop.

I recently was sent a large shoebox full of Higginson, Crabtree, and Briggs family photos from Cal Bivens. It included this one (a real favorite) of my great-grandfather John Crabtree working in his shoe shop in Lone Pine Nebraska.

As I understand it, Great-Grandpa Crabtree had polio around age 5 or 6 and he needed two different size shoes for his feet. He eventually apprenticed as a shoemaker. He had a number of other skills, but in the latter years of his life he was appreciated for his shoemaking ability in Lone Pine.

I was very surprised to see it has been over 4 years since I last posted photos on my Higginson/Crabtree Branch. After finishing Grandma and Me, I started work on a book about my dad’s parents and ancestors, which I thought would have been completed quite some time ago.

But the Austin book turned into a 3 book series and I just recently completed book 2, so I have not had the time to post photos and information about the Crabtrees and Higginsons like I would have liked.

In the near future, I hope to be able to add some of the photos Cal recently sent me, many of which are in Grandma and Me, but these are originals and many of them are a better quality.

I am excited to tell you that the baby in this photo is 100 today, the 18th of June. A very happy birthday to Mildred!

From the Left: Mary Higginson Shattuck (my great great grandma), Mae Williams Amick holding her daughter Mildred (the birthday girl) and Carrie Higginson Williams. Carrie was my great grandma Ida Hgginson Crabtree’s sister.

Cover of the book about my Grandma Myrtie, “Grandma and Me.” It is now available. See UPDATE for information on how to order it online.