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| A quaint nook in the corner of this beautiful cabin |
The following article and photos are from an article I wrote for the Robertson County News. I just wanted to share it on here because I love this story and I enjoyed writing this article and meeting such a great man that did some wonderful things for his country and for his family. Enjoy.
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| Sergeant Major Vidaurri Higggins Sr. USMCR holds photos of his brother Robert Earl Miller and his son Vidaurri Higgins Jr. |
Retired Marine honors late
brother and son
Kari Smith|Robertson County News
Sergeant Major Vidaurri Higgins Sr. USMCR sits in the middle
of the cabin he proudly built, talking about his brother, his son, family
members and the amazing people that helped him build this getaway in tribute to
two very important losses in his life. When Higgins Senior’s brother passed
away in 2007, he wanted to honor his brother, Robert Earl Miller, in a big way.
He set out building a small cabin that would serve to remind him, as well as
anyone who visited, of the importance of family. While building this tribute in
2013, Higgins’ son, Vidaurri Higgins Jr., tragically passed away. There are now
two memorials standing on this spot, as Vidaurri Sr. dedicated the land to his
late son and built a large gate with an “in memorium” dedication standing above
the entrance.
Robert Earl Miller, Higgins’ brother, served in the United States Army for 18 years. After retiring from the Army, he joined the National Guard and the work force, working at Crane Plumbing and later at Alcoa Inc. until his death in a traffic accident. Miller left a wife and family behind.
Vidaurri Sr., Robert Earl, and Vidaurri’s wife Mae all graduated from Hearne High School before moving on to other parts of the country, and world. Miller was the first of the ten brothers and two sisters, born to Betty Miller, to pass away. Vidaurri Higgin’s Sr. lived all over the world during his 30 years in the United States Marine Corps. He and his wife Mae had three children, two girls and one boy, Vidaurri Jr. The death of Vidaurri Jr. left a large whole in his family’s hearts. Vidaurri Higgin’s Jr. was born in San Diego, California and graduated high school in Texas City, Texas. He attended
Robert Earl Miller, Higgins’ brother, served in the United States Army for 18 years. After retiring from the Army, he joined the National Guard and the work force, working at Crane Plumbing and later at Alcoa Inc. until his death in a traffic accident. Miller left a wife and family behind.
Vidaurri Sr., Robert Earl, and Vidaurri’s wife Mae all graduated from Hearne High School before moving on to other parts of the country, and world. Miller was the first of the ten brothers and two sisters, born to Betty Miller, to pass away. Vidaurri Higgin’s Sr. lived all over the world during his 30 years in the United States Marine Corps. He and his wife Mae had three children, two girls and one boy, Vidaurri Jr. The death of Vidaurri Jr. left a large whole in his family’s hearts. Vidaurri Higgin’s Jr. was born in San Diego, California and graduated high school in Texas City, Texas. He attended
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| The serene R.E.M Cabin, lovingly built in memory of Vidaurri Higgins Sr. to memorialize his brother, Robert Early Miller. |
Prairie View A&M for two years.
Higgins Sr. said that his son had a big heart, loved people and that he was a
“pure artist.” He also said, with a smile, that his son always wanted to prove
to his dad that he could “handle the country” and in the end, he had
accomplished it. He worked on the cabin with his father and there are photos of
this work in a photo album on display chronicling the process.
R.E.M Cabin, standing for Robert Earl Miller Cabin, is situated on a piece of land purchased by Higgins’ relatives in 1946 for $40. It has stayed in the family since then and has recently been transferred into Vidaurri Sr.’s care. The area is off of Highway 79 in Hearne in what used to be called the “Forty Bar” area, which in its day was not inside the Hearne city limits. The city limits were expanded and now include the area that this property is on. The cabin was dedicated on Saturday, September sixth in a heart-felt, tear-filled ceremony with many family members and friends present to unveil the hard work of the Higgins family and several others who were instrumental in making this dream a reality.
Vidaurri Higgins Sr. extended a sincere “thank you” to the people that helped him on this project, naming five people especially that truly made this happen. First, he thanks his wife, Mae Higgins, saying that she was his “right-hand woman” and that he owes her so much for everything she has given him. He also thanks Daniel Lehoski, Jason Lehoski, Percy Miller, and Carl Wilson, all of whom spent many hours and resources helping Vidaurri Sr., knowing how much this meant to him.
Such dedication and hard work is not only an inspiration, but a reminder to us all that family is important and that we should cherish the time we have to spend with them.
R.E.M Cabin, standing for Robert Earl Miller Cabin, is situated on a piece of land purchased by Higgins’ relatives in 1946 for $40. It has stayed in the family since then and has recently been transferred into Vidaurri Sr.’s care. The area is off of Highway 79 in Hearne in what used to be called the “Forty Bar” area, which in its day was not inside the Hearne city limits. The city limits were expanded and now include the area that this property is on. The cabin was dedicated on Saturday, September sixth in a heart-felt, tear-filled ceremony with many family members and friends present to unveil the hard work of the Higgins family and several others who were instrumental in making this dream a reality.
Vidaurri Higgins Sr. extended a sincere “thank you” to the people that helped him on this project, naming five people especially that truly made this happen. First, he thanks his wife, Mae Higgins, saying that she was his “right-hand woman” and that he owes her so much for everything she has given him. He also thanks Daniel Lehoski, Jason Lehoski, Percy Miller, and Carl Wilson, all of whom spent many hours and resources helping Vidaurri Sr., knowing how much this meant to him.
Such dedication and hard work is not only an inspiration, but a reminder to us all that family is important and that we should cherish the time we have to spend with them.
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| The front gate of R.E.M. Cabin. The gate and land is in memory of Vidaurri Higgins Jr |
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