Michelle Higginbotham

Richfield, Utah - Michelle Higginbotham (Dunn), 67, died on September 13, 2021, at her home in Richfield, Utah. Michelle was born October 22, 1953, in Logan, UT to Lila Marie Allred and John William Dunn Jr., both of whom preceded her in death. She is survived by two elder sisters, Janice Salter (Farmington, UT) and Jali Eagan (St. George, UT). Michelle grew up in Woods Cross, UT and Layton, UT and then attended Utah State University where she met her future husband of 49 years, Richard (Rick) Fred Higginbotham, son of Kenneth Orr Higginbotham and Ethel Jean Smith (both deceased). On December 11, 1973, Michelle and Rick were sealed to each other in the Logan, UT temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the couple are life-long members of the Church. Michelle and Rick raised their five children in Kamas, UT, Farmington, MO, and Richfield, UT. While Rick worked for the Forest Service and BLM, Michelle started several small businesses, including seamstress, western wear distributor, air freshener distributor, and circus ringmaster (aka Mother). She was a creative and successful entrepreneur. Michelle was also a gifted writer, talented musician, loyal friend, thoughtful grandmother, perfect mother, and devoted wife. Her warm personality, smiles, clever gifts, sense of humor, and loving attention are already deeply missed. Michelle is survived by Rick (Richfield), her five children: Holden (Nicole), Dylan (Leah), Tanner (Carrie), Hana Benson (Nic), Cabe (Tristan), and 14 grandchildren. Holden: “Mom, thank you for filling my life with laughter, curiosity, music, faith, and unconditional love. Thank you for loving my wife like your own child. Thank you for filling up my children with love. They will miss your gifts and stories and watching shows with you. We will miss hearing your voice and seeing your smile. We love you and Dad so much!” Dylan: “My mom always put experiences before anything else. In middle school, she checked me out of class to watch the circus set up. While all my friends were sitting in a class none of us can remember, my mom and I were watching elephants raise the circus tents!” Tanner: “Music was a huge part of Mom’s life. She taught herself to play guitar and wrote songs of her own. What a treat it was to hear her sing and play during Christmas Eve and other family gatherings! She lifted the mood of the whole house when she’d put on one of her Beatles records or another album from her vinyl collection. And often something said during conversation would remind her of a song lyric, and she’d spontaneously break into singing. She helped instill a love for music in all her kids, and the music she loved became the music we love.” Hana: “My mother taught me many wonderful things in this life, one of which is to serve others. Growing up, my mother delivered meals on wheels to the elderly in our community. When I could, she would invite me to help her. To her, it was more than just dropping off a meal. She visited and gained friendships; she cared and shared so much compassion. The visits to the elderly soon went beyond just delivering meals. She began visiting nursing homes, and the elderly that didn’t have family close by soon became like family to her. It was important for my mom to have moments that really bonded us together as parent and child. I’m so blessed she chose those kinds of moments to be shared with me. Now, as a mother myself, I have been sharing very similar experiences with my boys. Her examples will forever change a part of who I am.” Cabe: “One memory that stands out in my mind is when we were going to a local apple orchard and I refused to bring a jacket. She wrapped her jacket and arms around me to keep me warm from the wind. This is a founding memory for me for the unconditional love my mother had for me. This continued on in my life and helped the way I love my wife and family.” A public memorial service is scheduled for 11 am on Monday, October 4, 2021, at Springer Turner Funeral Home in Richfield, UT (260 North 400 West). In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to projectlinus.org. Michelle donated many blankets to this organization, and her influence will always be like a warm blanket to those of us left behind.