She and her husband, my grandfather, Kenny Higginbotham, had a tumultuous marriage. He was a truck driver and on the road a lot. He also favored the drink. They were married young. Judy was just 17 when my mother was born in 1960. By 1965, there were four Higginbotham girls: Lori, Judy, Lisa, and Renee.
I don't know too much about her. From my Mom and Aunts, I learned she was a homemaker, a smoker, loved Pepsi and chocolate, loved kids...she took in other family members' kids from time to time. From my Great Uncle I learned that as a teen she had a wild crush on James Dean and other boys loved her, giving her the nickname: "Skinny Mini with the Meatball Eyes" on the account of her being thin and having big brown eyes.
Despite never having met her, I have always felt a connection. Those who have known her see a resemblance. A recently discovered photo of her has me convinced that we share the same sense of humor (pictured below). 36 Years after her death, and she is still loved and remembered. Family is powerful, and it's great feeling connected to our ancestors.
