Higdon Articles

Heritage Book Article

William Thomas "Bud" Higdon and Sarah Jane Martin

William Thomas (Bud) Higdon was born in Macon County (near Swain) North Carolina October 6, 1866 - died October 23, 1907 in Swain County, North Carolina on Alarka, and is buried with his wife in Cochran Cemetery, Alarka. He was the son of William (Bill) Higdon (1839 - March 8-1873) and Sarah (Sallie) Brendle (January 28, 1837 - January 7, 1927) born in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Bill and Sallie died at Alarka and are buried in the DeHart Cemetery, Swain County, NC. They reared two children, Bud and Sarah C., Bud (January 4, 1862 - July 9, 1908). Sarah C. married August 23, 1875 to John W. Bowers (June 6, 1852 -March 26, 1931); both buried in the Cochran Cemetery, Alarka.

Sallie married Andrew Jackson Jones (Andy), born March 9, 1833 died November 16, 1907. To this second marriage two children were born: Andrew Johnson (Jonse) Jones (July 23, 1874 - July 24, 1934) and Dollie Jones. Jonse married Mary Jane Cochran, daughter of William (Bill) Cochran and Sarah E. Newberry (born in Tennessee). Dolly married January 1, 1899, James Madison (Big Jim) Cochran (October 10, 1873 - October 14, 1939). Both are buried in family plot on their farm on Alarka. Sallie married a third time to Joseph Robinson, a sawmill operator on Jones Creek on Alarka. No children by this marriage.

William T. (Bud) and Sarah Jones reared eight children to maturity, one having died young and is buried near parents in Cochran Cemetery. He inherited some prime farmland from his father and mother, some of which is still owned by their great grandchildren. The eldest of Bud's children was Elizabeth (Lizzie), born March 1888, who married John Cochran, son of Samuel Cochran and Eliza Brendle; Nancy C. (Lottie), born November 1890 married first to Lloyd Fuller, (one son, Thomas). Lloyd was the son of Stephen Thaddeus Fuller and Rebecca Bowers. Lottie married after Lloyd's death, W. Harrison Cochran, son of Merritt C. Cochran and Mary E. (Polly) Lowe. William J. (Jonse) January 15, 1893 - March 28, 1981, married October 13, 1915 in Macon County, NC to Birdie Upton, daughter of Jesse Upton and Palestine Brendle. Jonse is buried in Southhill, Virginia. Henry (March 1895) married first to Ludea Nations, daughter of Cling Nations and Talitha Franklin, second marriage to Laura Cabe, daughter of Charlie Cabe, third to Shirley Merritt. Fannie (March 1897) married September 28, 1924 to George Manley (Mann) Barker, son of Warren Edmund Barker and Nancy Brendle. Dollie Victoria, (1899) married Albert Wiggins, son of Hampton Wiggins and Margret Jane Cline. Martha (March 7, 1900 - March 2, 1976) married March 7, 1920 to Alfred Ledford son of Ambrose Ledford and Puralee (Unknown). Fred (1904 -1967) married Mary Lindsay, daughter of Titus Lindsay and Josephine Herron.

Sources: Family History, family bible and marriage records of Swain, Macon, and Jackson Counties.
Article 193 submitted by:Vera Marie Wiggins Kirkland


This article used with permission of Mack Sutton.