Mary Jo Higgins, 54, of Clinton, Oklahoma, passed away suddenly while traveling in Las Vegas. Born on July 19, 1970, in Clinton to William and Ruth (Little Elk) Higgins, Mary Jo was a beloved daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother whose generosity touched countless lives.
Mary Jo was raised in Hammon, Oklahoma, where she graduated with the Hammon High School Class of 1988. She went on to study at AIBT Southern Campus (Christian College). After college, she moved to Arizona and worked with Wells Fargo, before relocating to California in 2000 to focus on raising her children. In 2004, she returned to southwest Oklahoma, where she began a fulfilling career serving her community as a legislator for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe. Later, she transitioned to the housing department, eventually dedicating herself to care work, offering transportation and food deliveries to tribal elders and always going out of her way to assist those in need, whether during work hours or her personal time.
Mary Jo had a deep love for travel, exploring hiking trails in Albuquerque, and was a devoted member of the Pentecostal Church in Hammon. She cherished her family, spending time with her children and grandchildren, and often checked in on the elders of her tribe.
She is preceded in death by her parents, William and Ruth Higgins, her sister Lillie Higgins, her brother in law Dane Kauk, close friend William White, and former husband Kenneth Falkner.
Mary Jo is survived by her son, Nikki of Mesa, Arizona; her daughter, Devin Falkner of Clinton; her sisters, Jennifer Higgins and Lila Kauk of Leedey, Bridget Higgins, and her companion Thurman Starr, of Hammon; her brother, Gregory Dean Little Elk of Elk City; and five cherished grandchildren: Avery, Kyle, Damien, Josephine, and Winter Lee Higgins, her grandma Irene Hayes, and an abundance of nieces and nephews.
Mary Jo will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her memory will live on in the lives she touched and the love she shared.
Mary Jo will have a Funeral Service 1:00 P.M. Thursday, November 21, 2024, at the Hammon High School Auditorium, with Jan Phillips officiating, and under the direction of the Lee Hometown Funeral Home. Burial will follow in the Hammon Indian Cemetery, and a traditional allnight wake will be Wednesday starting at 7:00 P.M. at the Clinton ERC Building.