Martha Faith Tatum Higginbotham

BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Martha Faith Tatum Higginbotham passed away in the presence of her loving family at Hospice of the Golden Isles on January 29, 2016, after an extended illness resulting from the insidious effects of Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). She fought the good fight but eagerly anticipated meeting her Lord and Savior and was more than ready when he called her home, her family said. 

Mrs. Higginbotham was preceded in death by her loving parents, Gaynor Pickett and Ruby Lee (Mozo) Tatum; a brother, Gaynor Lee (Bug) Tatum; and a very special nephew, Douglas Eugene Hall Junior, who God called home when he was only 11 years old.

Mrs. Higginbotham is survived by her adoring family: her husband of 55 years, James Linton Higginbotham Sr.; daughters, Sheri Dawn Smith (David) and Stacey Leigh Ahl (Tom); one son, James Linton Higginbotham Jr. (Barbara); nine grandchildren, Olivia Dawn Smith, Emily Michelle Smith, Tatum Len Higginbotham, Jackson Hart Higginbotham, Madison Faith Ahl, Sara Marie Higginbotham, Mason Wright Smith, Thomas Riley Ahl, and Samuel Linton Higginbotham; one great-grandchild, Aubree Rose Durham; two sisters, Nan Colleen (Tatum) Morrell (Don) and Glenda Ann (Tatum) Hall; one brother, Jerry Earnest Tatum (Sue); and a plethora of nieces and nephews, all of whom she adored.

Martha was born in Moultrie on December 23, 1940. 

“Her parents were the best sharecroppers in the area,” her family said, “and they instilled in her at an early age the need for faith (her middle name) in God, church, family, country, and herself. The sharecropping business was a family affair and Martha enjoyed talking about her experiences on the farm — i.e. picking cotton, suckering tobacco, hoeing peanuts, lugging irrigation et.al. These early teachings would become the hallmark for her life’s journey.”

Upon her graduation from Moultrie High School in 1958, her family moved to Pelham, Ga., where she entered the business world as a private secretary for the owner of an Insurance agency in her new hometown. The owner was so impressed with her secretarial skills, poise, confidence, and dedication to her work that he encouraged her to represent his agency in the annual Miss Pelham contest. After resisting his pleas for several weeks, she finally agreed and won the pageant that had 52 participants. She subsequently went on to represent the city of Pelham in the 38th Annual Rose Show parade in Thomasville, Georgia, where 50,000 people lined the streets for this major regional event. She also made many appearances as Miss Mitchell County and represented the Mitchell County Forestry Association in a state wide contest for Miss Georgia Green. 

Martha and Linton Higginbotham were married on a “rainy night in Georgia” on April 2, 1960, and began an odyssey that included 35 moves in 55 years that found her living on a house boat in Dahlonega, Georgia; a mobile home and duplex in Gaffney, South Carolina; an apartment complex in Alexandria, Virginia; her parent’s home in Pelham, government housing at Fort Wolters, Texas, a Deutsche family home in Heimbach, Germany, a tent while camping in the Swiss Alps and Rome, Italy, and a hotel in Paris, France. All of this in her first four years of marriage. This was an omen of things to come, her family said. 

Mrs. Higginbotham was the consummate Army wife as she balanced her career and family activities, often by herself, while Mr. Higginbotham was on several long term deployments with the Army. In addition to working full time, she was always an active participant in all Army wives club activities to include modeling; arts and crafts; aerobics; performing voluntary services; and hosting parties, where she was known as the “hostess with the mostest.” 

 Mrs. Higginbotham made a significant career change while they were stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. She decided to go into the real estate profession, where her personality, confidence, poise and innate sales ability made her an instant success. During her second year she was the top producer in Coffee County selling a house every week. She also became an officer of the Board of Realtors and was the publicity chairman where her “Private Property Week” entry won first place in the state. Her confidence, which was at an all-time high, coupled with her phenomenal success as an agent, led her to establish, open, and manage her own company, appropriately known as THE Real Estate Company. One year after opening her company, her sales were greater than four times the amount of her investment. 

After retiring, Mr. and Mrs. Higginbotham moved to Brunswick, Georgia, to be near their family. Mrs. Higginbotham immediately started looking for a new venture and came up with the idea to build a Bridal Barn on the old Higginbotham homestead in Brantley County, where the family could host weddings, reunions, church groups and other activities. “She worked with the architect to finalize the design, and the builder to ensure compliance with the design. She was the interior decorator and created a masterpiece which everyone who uses the facility enjoys. Due to her creativity and business acumen, this also proved to be a very successful endeavor,” her family said.

Mrs. Higginbotham wrote an autobiography, “A Hill of Beans,” which documented her life from birth to the start of construction of the Bridal Barn. Her book consists of 250 pages, complete with pictures that document her life’s journey. She got a copyright for the book and was in the process of editing it for publication when she was diagnosed with the physically and mentally crippling disease known as Lewy Body Dementia. 

“This ravaging disease never impaired her spirituality and love for her savior,” her family said. “She was a beautiful and graceful lady who was loved and adored by all who came in contact with her, but that outer beauty was pale in comparison to the inner beauty of the love for her Lord and family. The Lord broke the mold when he placed her in this temporal life.”

Visitation will be held at the Edo Miller Funeral Home in Brunswick on Tuesday, Feb. 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at Glyndale Baptist Church 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 3, with the Rev. Ken Creekmore officiating. The music will be provided by her niece, Leann Owens. Burial will be in New Hope Cemetery, Hickox, Georgia. Pallbearers will be her nephews, Donnie Morrell, Mike Higginbotham, Scottie Morrell. Ron Lee, Jim Morrell, and Marty Owens.

Donations can be made to the Glyndale Baptist Church, The Parkinson Foundation or a charity of your choice. Sympathy may be expressed by signing the on-line registry at www.edomillerandsons.com or condolences may be left under this obituary at www.moultrieobserver.com.

Arrangements are entrusted to Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home.