Ronald Max Wesley Higgs (76) of Altamont

Ronald Max Wesley Higgs, 76, of Altamont, IL, passed peacefully on Tuesday, September 5, 2017, at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL, surrounded by his loving wife and family.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, September 9 at Jackson Township Baptist Church in rural Altamont. Burial will be in Little Prairie Cemetery in rural Altamont with military rites. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday prior to the service at the church. Services are in the care of Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. The family requests to please wear casual attire. Memorials may be made to Little Prairie Cemetery Fund, rural Altamont.

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Ronald was born on May 15, 1941, in Jackson Township, Altamont, IL, the youngest and eleventh child of Everett William and Mary “Murrel” (Larimer) Higgs. He attended Osteen School and Altamont Public Schools. In 1964, Ronnie was drafted into the US Army and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and Fort Polk, LA. He was united in marriage to Deanna Sue Shelton on September 25, 1965 at Altamont Christian Church in Altamont. Ronnie was a well-known bass tournament fisherman, and he enjoyed hunting both deer and mushrooms. Ronnie also was a Union Carpenter for 60 years.

Ronnie is survived by his wife, Deanna Higgs of Altamont; three daughters, Anita Lynn Kinney of Effingham, Tanya Lee (husband, Kevin) Knierim of Altamont, and Erin Elizabeth Higgs of St. Louis, MO; seven grandchildren, Taylor J. Smith of Los Angeles, CA, Lucian A. Kinney, stationed at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, Japan, and Kaleb J. Knierim, Kaitlyn R. Knierim, and Karissa P. Kinney, all of Altamont, Ashley Kyle of Effingham, and Kristen (husband, Justin) Brown of Mattoon; and great-granddaughter, Josephine Brown. He dearly loved and was very proud of all his children and grandchildren, and leaves behind a multitude of nieces and nephews whom he also cared deeply for.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Everett and Murrel Higgs, brothers, Paul, George, Alvin, Herb, and Larry Higgs; and sisters, Neva Ullrich, Helen Bailey, Lottie Holland, Carolyn Sue Kruger Marcoux, and Eula Higgs.