WILLIAM HIGSON, “BILL”LUCAS, PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY AT VULCAN, ALBERTA SEPTEMBER 4, 1998 AT THE AGE OF 88 YEARS.
BILL WAS BORN FEBRUARY 26, 1910 AT BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND TO THOMAS AND MARION LUCAS. HIS MOTHER PASSED AWAY NINE MONTHS AFTER HE WAS BORN AND SO HE LIVED WITH HIS GRANDPARENTS. IN 1920 BILL AND HIS UNCLE ROBERT BOARDED A SHIP AND SAILED TO CANADA. THEY ARRIVED IN VULCAN ON THE TRAIN AND WERE MET BY HIS UNCLE JIMMY, WHO TOOK HIM TO BE WITH HIS FATHER ON THE FARM IN THE ARMADA DISTRICT. THERE HE MET HIS SECOND MOTHER MARY AND ATTENDED PLATEAU SCHOOL. IN THE EARLY THIRTIES HE AND HIS BROTHER GORDON BEGAN FARMING WITH HORSES ON LAND RENTED FROM THE HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY. BILL WORKED AT OTHER JOBS, AT PENHOLD, EDSON AND LOMOND. IN THE FORTIES HE PURCHASED THE JOHN EAGLE FARM AND CONTINUED FARMING. DURING THIS TIME HE CORRESPONDED WITH A SWEETHEART IN MANITOBA AND IN JULY OF 1940 HE MARRIED MILDRED FREDERICKSON THERE. THEY RETURNED TO THE FARM AND CONTINUED TO FARM UNTIL 1942 WHEN BILL ENLISTED WITH THE ARMY AND SERVED IN CANADA AND EUROPE. HE WAS DISCHARGED IN MARCH OF 1946 AND RETURNED HOME TO ARMADA TO CONTINUE MIXED FARMING, WITH TRACTORS THIS TIME. IN 1974 THEY SOLD THE FARM AND MOVED TO THEIR NEW HOUSE IN VULCAN. BILL CONTINUED TO HELP ON HIS SON DEL’S FARM NEAR LOMOND UNTIL RETIRING IN 1985.
WHILE HE FARMED IN ARMADA HE ALSO WAS THE VOLUNTEER JANITOR WHO SET UP FOR CHURCH, SCHOOL AND LEGION GATHERINGS. HE CONTINUED HIS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WHEN HE MOVED TO VULCAN, AS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED CHURCH. HE SERVED ON THE BOARD, SANG IN THE CHOIR, WAS A MEMBER IN SESSION AND WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE AG SOCIETY HELPING WITH THE FARMERS MARKET AND WAS THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE UNITED GRAIN GROWERS ASSOCIATION.
BILL ENJOYED WATCHING SOME TELEVISION, WALKING, TAKING BUS TOURS WITH MILDRED TO MANY PLACES ACROSS CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES INCLUDING ALASKA AND NASHVILLE.
BILL LOVED HIS FAMILY AND LIFE, HE APPRECIATED A VISIT AND WAS VERY OPTIMISTIC AND LEARNED FROM HIS MISTAKES. BILL WAS NEVER ONE TO PUT THINGS OFF, IF A JOB NEEDED DOING HE WENT AHEAD AND GOT IT DONE. HE ENJOYED WORKING IN THE YARD EVEN IF IT WAS ON SOMEONE ELSE’S PROPERTY. FROM BILL’S PERSPECTIVE, HIS LIFE WAS PERFECT, HE REACHED ALL OF HIS LIFE GOALS. BILL WAS A SIMPLE MAN WITH STRONG VALUES.
BELOVED HUSBAND OF MILDRED LUCAS OF VULCAN, LOVING FATHER OF A DAUGHTER LINDA BOOTH OF MILO, THREE SONS RON OF VULCAN, MARLIN OF MILO, DEL (JANIE) OF WINFIELD B.C., ELEVEN GRANDCHILDREN; KEVIN (KIM) BOOTH, CORRIE, JAN-DELLE (HER FIANCÉ CRAIG TOKER), NOEL, JUSTIN, LANE, JESSIE, MATTHEW, DENVER, KURT AND JOEY, TWO GREAT GRANDCHILDREN; KYLEE AND LARISSA, A BROTHER GORDON (AUDREY) LUCAS OF LOMOND, A SISTER CAY GRANT OF VULCAN, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
BILL WAS PREDECEASED BY A BROTHER JOHN, SISTER MARY AND HIS PARENTS.
FUNERAL SERVICE TUESDAY AT 11:00 A.M. SEPTEMBER 8, 1998 AT VULCAN UNITED CHURCH WITH REV. LORRAINE POWELL OFFICIATING.
INTERMENT MOUNTAIN VIEW MEMORIAL GARDENS AT 3:30 P.M. (17TH AVENUE AT GARDEN ROAD S.E. CALGARY).
CASKET BEARERS TOM GRANT, DOUG GRANT, ROY LUCAS, DERWYN GRANT, NORMAN STOKES AND CHUCK STOKES.
IF LIEU OF FLOWERS TRIBUTES IN BILL’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO EITHER THE VULCAN UNITED CHURCH BOX 275 VULCAN, OR THE CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE.
VULCAN FUNERAL HOME IN CARE OF ARRANGEMENTS. TELEPHONE 485-2633.