Mary Frances (Helget) Higgins Jude, 94, of Buffalo passed away at Lakeview Manor in Buffalo on Tuesday, May 1, 2012. Mass of Christian burial was held on Tuesday, May 8, at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, Maple Lake.
Fr. John Meyer officiated. Burial followed at St. Luke’s Catholic Cemetery, Clearwater. She is survived by her daughter Susan and her husband Ward Whiting and their children; Edward (Sandra) of Ontario, Calif. and Ian of Santa Monica, Calif., and her son Timothy of Maple Lake; Tim’s sons Dan, Steve (Dawn), Joe (Missy), Peter (April), and Robert (Robyn), all reside in the area; great-granddaughters, Celeste, Rian, Brianna, Arianna, Allison, Lissa, Loren and Kara; great-grandsons, Kegan, Kyler, Joe, Jr., and twins Daniel and Corbin. Other survivors include two sisters, Leone Knickerbocker of Annandale and Louise Young of White Bear Lake; brother-in-law, Richard Schramel, of Alexandria; and nieces, Beverly (Tom) Morganroth of Chippewa Falls, Wis., Diane Nendza of Minneapolis, and Sharon Cripe of Duluth.
Mary was born in St. Cloud to Elizabeth (Wilfahrt) and Henry Helget on May 2, 1916. She had an idyllic rural childhood that included draft horses, a meandering creek, and a classic one-room school house. As a teenager she moved to Annandale where she attended high school and graduated in 1934. After working in Minneapolis, she married Daniel M. Higgins on June 23, 1943, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Clearwater. Living in the Stearns and Wright County areas, they farmed their entire life. They bought a dairy farm and moved to Maple Lake in l952. Daniel preceded her in death after 25 years of marriage in 1968. They had two children, Susan (Higgins) Whiting of Waterville, Ohio and Timothy Higgins, who still resides on the family farm. She remarried in 1972 to long-time friend, Walter Jude, of Maple Lake. Walter passed away in 1989. She lived a rich life. An accomplished knitter and seamstress, her kitchen was filled with the smells of freshly baked bread, hand-made doughnuts, and perfectly canned fruits. The family loved her incredible candies at Christmas, and prized her afghans and other creative crafts. A niece of "Whoopee" John Wilfahrt, noted band-leader and concertina player in the 40s and 50s, she loved old-time music and dancing. She was active in St. Timothy’s Catholic Church in Maple Lake for more than 60 years, an avid card player (especially Whist and Bridge), a leader in 4-H, a gifted gardener and many other activities.