Occupation Genealogist, author Spouse(s) Grant Dee Higley | Name Sybil Higley Died July 28, 2010 | |
Born December 31, 1938 ( 1938-12-31 ) Religion The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) Parent(s) Alfred Willard Gibson, Marjorie Hutchins | ||
Sybil Gibson Higley (December 31, 1938 - July 28, 2010) was an American genealogist and author known for her contributions in the genealogy field and for starting and heading two different genealogical centers.
Contents
Genealogy work
Higley was the author of The descendants of James Hutchins and Susannah Beavers and The descendants of James Turpin and Nancy Ann Tatum of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia , and Utah. Both books are held by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Family History Library, though they have also been distributed as far as the National Library of Australia.
Higley set up and directed the Ontario Family History Center for 10 years. She subsequently set up and was director of the Fruitland Family History Center for 10 years as well. She was known as "the breaker of brick walls" in genealogy while working at these centers.
The Malheur County cemetery records in Oregon were uploaded onto the web in their entirety by Higley.
Upon her death, Higley bequeathed a number of genealogical books to the Idaho Genealogical Society.
Personal life
Higley was born Sybil Gibson to Alfred Willard Gibson and Marjorie Gibson (née Hutchins) on December 31, 1938 in Sanford, Colorado. The third of five daughters, Higley's siblings were Lavona, Jana Lou, Ruth, and Winona ("Winnie").
In 1957, Higley married Grant Dee Higley in Portland. Together, the couple had four children: Cynthia, Michael, Lori and Timothy. Daughter Lori Higley White has written three genealogical books as well as contributing to Sybil's work. They remained married for 53 years until Sybil Higley's death on July 24, 2010. At the time, the Higleys were living in Fruitland, Idaho. Grant died on July 11, 2013, from brain cancer.
Author and fellow genealogist Jack Randolph Hutchins showed he was related to Higley in one of his books.