James Melton Higginbotham

James Higginbotham, age 83 of Purcell, passed away Sunday, September 29, 2013, at the Sunset Estates Nursing Home. James was happily living in Purcell, Oklahoma for the last 21 years. Purcell has been good to us and we became easily accepted. Before that we lived at Ponca City, where James was supervisor of the tank farm at the Conoco Refinery for 17 years. During our 40 years with Conoco we made many company moves and they were very good to us. These moves took us to many adventurous places which seemed like sightseeing adventures. James was moved to Shattuck, Oklahoma in June 1949 by Conoco. That many years ago - we now see that God brought him to Shattuck for a reason. He helped my daddy so much and he was quickly loved by my parents and all the Schoenhals family. With all the good things God did for us and what we believe, James was welcomed by our parents on that Sunday afternoon, September 29, 2013 when he left this world. We were all with him and he was breathing nicely, and then stopped. Hospice was also with us so we were comfortable with these happenings. We definitely believe "everything happens for the best" as God says. James and Betty were the first couple to be married in the new Ebenezer Baptist Church in Shattuck on February 11, 1950, when it was moved from the country. The church wasn't completed so they had folding chairs and very little else. All went so well. We left the church and moved to El Reno. We had two sons, Michael and Alan. And we claim Ginger, Alan's wife who followed him with all his moves as he also worked for Conoco. Michael lives in Richmond, Virginia with our Grandson and Alan lives in Seguin, Texas, east of San Antonio. Alan and Ginger have one daughter, Jessica who lives in California with her husband and our three great granddaughters. We were going to the Johnson Road Baptist Church at Purcell. We again think God had a hand in this. As it happens, Preacher Brown, from Johnson Road Baptist Church went to ministerial school in New Orleans and his first church was a small county church outside Fargo, which is very near Shattuck. God's planning for our life was the best. Funeral Services are scheduled for 2:00 P.M. Tuesday, October 1, 2013, at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Shattuck, OK under the direction of Carl Mason Funeral Home in Shattuck. Burial will follow at the Shattuck Memorial Cemetery. Local arrangements are by Wilson-Little Funeral Home in Purcell.

James Melton Higginbotham

December 13, 1929 - September 29, 2013