LACONIA---- Virginia 'Ginnie' May Higgins, 89, of Highland Street, passed away on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, at the Lakes Region General Hospital.
Ginnie was born on August 29, 1931, in Belmont, NH, the daughter of John and Mabel (Prescott) Brown.
Ginnie grew up on the family farm, and those years never truly left her. She was known for rising with the sun and being in bed well before 8pm. Her choice of career was also very unorthodox in her time; for decades she was the sole female working in the meat department at Jackson Star Market, working in both the Gilford and Meredith locations. Her retirement job, as it were, was working in the kitchen at the Taylor Home in Laconia. She spent her years there building bonds with her residents and she mourned greatly with each one who left; but remembered them fondly.
Most of Ginnie’s years in Laconia were spent on Strafford Street where she cultivated a garden that was the envy of the neighborhood. She canned everything she could to use throughout the winter. Her stuffed peppers were famous and regularly requested by family, neighbors, and coworkers alike. Ginnie’s years on Strafford Street also created friendships that would last a lifetime - and span generations. The Thayer and Bastraw families hold very special places in the hearts of the Higgins family. The Strafford Street house was almost always full of children; after raising their own children, Ginnie and Porter’s home was the spot to be for their grandchildren and their friends after school.
In her spare time, Ginnie loved to sew. Most nights she could be found sitting behind her machine in the dining room working on her latest craft or gift. Over the years, her wares could be found in craft fairs throughout the region. A specialty of hers, in the 60’s and 70’s, were her crocheted poodle bottle covers. During Motorcycle Weekend the family would set up a table in front of the house and would sell out every year. Ginnie would spend her fall filling orders that she took once she had sold out.
Ginnie was an ardent member of the Emblem Club in Laconia. She would make fudge for the Elks/Emblem Club carnival, and helped run that event for years. Her years as part of the executive board allowed her to disburse scholarships for many of Laconia’s youth as they pursued higher education. Her tenure on the organization's Board of Directors also allowed her to experience two of her dream trips; in 1975 the National Conference took her to Hawaii with her husband, and in 1995 she visited Alaska with her daughter, Gail.
In her later years, as her eyesight began to fail, she moved in with her daughter and son-in-law. She could still be found outside for as long as life allowed her – teaching Greg her gardening tricks and relaxing in the sunshine with the family dogs.
Ginnie is survived by her son, William Higgins of Laconia; two daughters; Sue Higgins and her husband Greg Hough of Laconia, and Gail Schillinger and her husband Joseph of Laconia; a brother, Wesley Brown and his wife Edie; a sister Lorraine Wiggins and her husband Jim, five grandchildren; Jennifer Schillinger of Gilford, Sarah Higgins of Laconia, Jessica Groleau, and her husband Brett, of Charlotte, NC, Christine Higgins of Pembroke, and Taylor Hough of Laconia; four great-grandchildren; Katlyn Sawyer of Laconia, Elliot Lindsey of Pembroke, Scott Bowe of Laconia, and Colette Groleau of Charlotte, NC, as well as many nieces and nephews. The family would be remiss if they did not also mention Wendy Weber and her son, Joseph Morrisette, both of Laconia, as Ginnie considered them family as well. In addition to her parents, several siblings, and her favorite brother-in-law Samuel Stanley, Ginnie is predeceased by her loving husband, Charles Porter Higgins.
A Graveside Service will be held at 12:00 p.m., Saturday, June 5, 2021, at Bayside Cemetery, Laconia, NH, with a reception following at the Laconia Elks Clubhouse on Sugarbush Lane in Gilford.
For those who wish, the family suggests that memorial donations be made in Ginnie’s name to the Laconia Elks #876 Scholarship Fund, 17 Sugarbush Lane, Gilford, NH, 03249.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.