Born January 20, 1934 – Died November 11, 2018
Lola Jean Higby, 84, of Ventura has gone home to be with our Lord, and was reunited with Wayne, her husband of 5O years. She passed away in her home on Sunday, November 11, 2018. We celebrate her life, appreciating how she enriched the lives of so many others. Her strong Christian walk, prayers, and charities were an inspiration and support to all her family and friends.
After being diagnosed with cancer and knowing that her end of life on earth was drawing near, when asked by her granddaughter, if she was ready to meet Jesus, she smiled and answered confidently and impishly, “Yes, I’m ready, but not today.” On the day she went to Heaven, she passed peacefully, surrounded by her children, and devoted grandchildren, all praying at her side. Many acquaintances did not know she had cancer or was receiving chemotherapy.
She was longtime member of Ventura Missionary Church, where she served as a deaconess and sang in the senior church choir, Silvertones. She was actively involved in several groups including the Waylighters, Jubilee class, and women’s Bible studies. Daily she read the Bible and prayed for family, friends and acquaintances. Her main prayer for all would be that they would accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior. Her care for others extended past their spiritual life and into their physical well-being.
The daughter of William “Stanley” Chestnut and Leona Evelyn (Dooley), she was born January 20, 1934, in Clay Center, Kansas. She grew up on her family’s farm, which instilled in her such a strong work ethic, that even in her ending days, she wanted to get up and clean, before the house-keeper came. Growing up on a farm prepared her to assist her husband when he purchased a ranch and planted 100 avocado trees. She would tirelessly work on the ranch, driving a tractor to remove all the weeds, walking the water-lines and repairing the lines chewed by coyotes. And,of course, making guacamole for friends and family. She began a lifetime career as a registered nurse at Stormont Vail School of Nursing in Topeka, Kansas, where she also met her future husband on a blind date. After getting married, they moved to Michigan so that Wayne could attend Michigan State University. Once settled in Michigan, she resumed work as a registered nurse, started a family and kept the household running. After Wayne graduated they moved to California, where she worked as a registered nurse, was a “Den Mother “ for her son, David’s Cub Scout group, and faithfully took all three children to church every Sunday. While working in a local cardiologist’s office she went back to school to earn her BSN and MSN degrees. After obtaining her nursing degrees she accepted a teaching position at Ventura College in the Nursing department. Many of her students saw her as an instructor that went the extra mile to help them achieve their goal of becoming a nurse.
After retirement she and Wayne traveled throughout the United States researching and purchasing Higbee glass. All the researching prompted her to write and publish a book on Higbee glass entitled Bryce Higbee and J. B. Higbee Glass. She and Wayne had a book-signing at the local Barnes and Nobles. Traveling to research for the book sparked a love of travel that would continue after the death of her husband. Besides traveling in the United States, she also traveled to England, China, Israel and Egypt. The only thing she regretted in her foreign travels was not being able to ride a camel. In 2016 her travels took her to Tennessee where she was able to see a full-size replica of Noah’s Ark…and finally took her camel ride! Lola also loved researching family ancestries, and she spent many hours writing personal ancestry books for different lines of the family.
She was preceded in death, by her parents, beloved husband, Wayne Frank Higby, and a brother, Douglas Lynn Chestnut. Surviving her are her children: David Higby, Debbie Wolff, and Diane Drewes; her grandchildren: Shannon Cox, Matthew Higby, James Wolff, Amber Reid, and Michael and Michelle Drewes; her great-grandchildren: Austin, Lucas, Gavin, and Greyson Cox, and Hunter Reid; her brothers: John, Mike, and Ralph Chestnut; her sister Annette McDaniel, and many nieces and nephews.
Lola’s internment will be a private ceremony at Ivy Lawn Memorial Center in Ventura. Her memorial service will be held in Ventura on December 27, 2018 at Charles Carroll Funeral Home, from 1-2pm, followed by a reception at Ventura Missionary Church from 2-4pm.
The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the following charities: Samaritan’s Purse (www.samaritanspurse.org), St. Jude Children’s Hospital (www.stjude.org), and Folds of Honor (www.foldsofhonor.org).
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