Robert "Bobbie" Higgs

On December 14, 1939 a son was born to Hartman Higgs and Persis (Stratton) Higgs on the island of Nassau in the Bahamas. His parents named their son, Robert Hartman Higgs, but he was always called by the name “Bobbie”. Bobbie’s childhood was spent between Nassau and Marsh Harbour, Abaco. Marsh Harbour was the town where his mother Persis was from and his dad would take his family to the northern island of Abaco to work to support his family. As a child, during one of the many visits to Marsh Harbour, Bobbie heard a visiting missionary from Minnesota by the name of Bror Lennardtz preach the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was convicted that he was a sinner and later that Sunday night in the small apartment where his family was living, Bobbie trusted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. This was a life changing event.

Bobbie left school at the age of 14 to go to work at General Agencies, a food warehouse. A few years later he met Nancy Loucks who was visiting the Bahamas from Anoka, MN. On August 28, 1959 at the age of 19 he married Nancy. They were married for 61 years. The Lord blessed this couple with three children: Robert (Robbie), Bonnie, and Sandra.

Bobbie and his family lived in Nassau until 1972 when he moved them to Dunedin, Florida. He worked at a gas station for his brother-in-law, Bill Loucks. He missed his island home so in 1980 Bobbie, Nancy and Sandra moved to Marsh Harbour where he had spent much of his childhood. He worked at Standard Hardware where he was the purchasing manager. He worked there for 37 years.

Bobbie loved fishing. He had an old 17’ Boston Whaler and would go fishing as often as possible--sometimes 3 or 4 times a week.

In 1996 Bobbie had open heart surgery to repair a valve. On July 4, 1998 his beloved daughter Sandra passed away. This affected him greatly and often he would speak about her.

He adored his grandchildren Troy, Crystal, Benjamin and Bethany. He enjoyed going to Florida to visit Bonnie, Ritch, Troy and Crystal at least twice a year.

In the last few years of his life, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and eventually had to stop working at the hardware store. He continued to walk slower and slower and became really stiff. On September 1, 2019, hurricane Dorian plowed through Abaco and destroyed his house as well as most of Marsh Harbour. Bobbie and Nancy were air lifted by helicopter to Nassau a couple of days after and were later flown to Minnesota by the believers at Trott Brook Gospel Hall.

Bobbie and Nancy moved into the Homestead at Anoka in January of 2020. He missed his island home and his family back in the Bahamas and of course the warm weather. His health continued to decline with the Parkinson’s disease. On July 2, 2021 he became bedridden and on July 6 he was taken to Unity Hospital where he passed away on July 9, around 2:00 in the morning. He is now in the presence of his Saviour the Lord Jesus where there “is fulness of Joy” (Psalm 16:11).

Bobbie is survived by his wife Nancy (Loucks) Higgs, son and daughter-in-law Robbie and Julie Higgs, daughter and son-in-law Bonnie and Ritch Madlom, grandson Troy and Crystal Madlom, granddaughter Crystal and Chad Martin, grandson Benjamin Higgs, granddaughter Bethany Higgs, great-grandchildren Brodie Madlom, Cody Martin, Maverick Madlom, Caia Madlom, Brielle Martin; brother Rowan and Patricia Higgs, sister Eldwyth and Bennie Roberts, sister Gaye Albury, plus numerous nephews, nieces, cousins and other close members of his Bahamian family. We pray that the circle will be unbroken in heaven.

Funeral service will take place at Trott Brook Gospel Hall, 17301 Nowthen Blvd, Ramsey, MN on Friday, July 16, 2021 at 1:30pm with a viewing beginning at 12:30pm. Graveside service to follow at Trott Brook Cemetery.