Rev. J. R. Higgins Biography


	This biography appears on page 1887 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	REV. J. R. HIGGINS, the able and popular priest in charge of St. 
Rose church and parish in the attractive village of Montrose, McCook 
county, is a native of the fair Emerald Isle, though he has passed 
practically his entire life in America. He was born in County Sligo, 
Ireland, and his parents emigrated to the United States when he was a 
child of four years. They located in the city of New York, in the 
parish of historic old St. Michael's church, and there the subject 
passed his youthful days. He secured his preliminary educational 
discipline in the parish school of St. Michael's church, and after 
completing the prescribed curriculum he entered St. Francis Xavier 
College, in the city of New York, in which. he was graduated as a 
member of the class of 1883. He then completed his philosophical and 
theological courses in Dominican colleges in Kentucky and Ohio, and 
then was ordained to the priesthood. After his reception of holy orders 
Father Higgins initiated the active work of his sacred calling by 
serving as a missionary priest in Kentucky, Tennessee and Minnesota. 
While residing in the last mentioned state he made a lecture tour 
through South Dakota, and incidentally he became favorably impressed 
with the state as a desirable field for his work, and he determined to 
locate here providing the necessary permission could be secured from: 
the church authorities. He was granted his desire, and became a member 
of this diocese, being first assigned to, pastoral work in Bon Homme 
county, where he labored until 1903, when he was assigned to his 
present charge as rector of St. Rose church, in Montrose, where he has 
gained the affectionate regard and hearty co-operation of the members 
of his parish, into whose work he is infusing zeal and vitality, while 
his gracious personality and tolerance have gained to him distinctive 
popularity in his new field of labor.