Mildred Dellinger Higgs

Mildred Claudine Dellinger Higgs, a long-time resident of Middle Tennessee, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 5, in Franklin, TN. She was 94 years old. She was the daughter of the late George Logan and Helen Gray Dellinger of Jeffersonville, Indiana. She was preceded in death by her husband, Buford Bell Higgs, in 2000. She is survived by two children, Robert L. (Carol Thom) Higgs of Canton, GA and Nancy Jo (Don) Pelster of Brentwood; three grandchildren, Jonathan (Amy Carter) Higgs of Nashville, Allison (Joey) Ruff of Franklin, and Michael Pelster, M.D. and his fiancé Meredith Sellers, M.D. both of Chicago, IL; and two great-grandchildren, Madison Stancliff and Connor Ruff, both of Franklin. A native of Clark County, Indiana, Mildred graduated from Jeffersonville High School in 1940 and then attended the University of Louisville School of Music. She met Buford after he graduated from Vanderbilt in 1941 and moved to Indiana to work at the Army Ammunition plant there. They married in September 1942 and enjoyed 58 years of marriage. After living briefly in Birmingham, they moved to Nashville and later to Brentwood and Franklin. During World War II and prior to the birth of their first child, Mildred worked at the Vultee Aircraft plant in Nashville. They were long-time members of Belmont United Methodist Church and its Couples Class where Mildred often played the piano on Sunday mornings. They were also former members of Brentwood Country Club where they enjoyed playing golf with their friends. Mildred was active in the PTA at both Burton Elementary and Hillsboro High School during her children’s school days. She was also an avid longtime fan of Vanderbilt sports. In her golden years, her greatest joys were making new friends at Morningside and later at NHC and spending time with family. Celebration of Life Service will be Thursday, November 10, 2016 at two-thirty in the afternoon in Woodlawn’s Dignity Hall, with a gathering of family and friends from one o’clock until the service at two-thirty at Woodlawn Roesch-Patton Funeral Home. Interment to follow in Woodlawn Memorial Park. Memorial donations may be made to Belmont United Methodist Church, 2007 Acklen Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212 or the American Diabetes Association, 220 Great Circle Rd. #134, Nashville, TN 37228.