Maxine Gail Nizer Garrett (1929-2014)
Daughter of Mary Ethel Warren Willls and great granddaughter of Fletcher and Mariah Highbaugh.
Her Story
Maxine Gail Nizer Garrett attended Butler University of Indianapolis, Indiana University, the Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University, and holds a CIBSS (Center of International Banking Studies) certification from the University of Virginia. She also received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
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She began her banking career as a bookkeeper and the first Black employee of Indiana National Bank in Indianapolis, Ind. She later joined a group of Black businessmen in founding Indiana's first minority bank, The Midwest National Bank in Indianapolis, where she was promoted to Assistant Vice-president. She later moved to Washington, DC and was hired at Riggs National Bank of Washington, D.C. as assistant vice-president and after 15 months was appointed full vice-president at the Watergate Office.
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Among her greatest accomplishments was the founding of Faith Moravian Church. She was successful in bringing together Moravians from across the Caribbean Islands and the United States. In 1982, she was elected to the Provincial Elders Conference, the overseeing body of the Moravian Church in the USA. She also represented the Moravian Church in the National Council of Churches, where she was appointed to the President's Commission for re-organization of that body.
Maxine served on the World Council of Churches for eight years as a member of the WCC's Finance Committee. She also served on the board of Moravian Theological Seminary and Moravian College. Maxine continued her work on the boards of various religious and social services organizations as a consultant, teacher, lecturer, fundraiser, and counselor well into retirement. She was a life member and the national treasurer of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. and an active alumna of Crispus Attucks High School, Indianapolis, IN.
Walter William Highbaugh Jr.
(1948-2007).
Great grandson of Riley Highbaugh and the great great grandson of Fletcher and Mariah Highbaugh.
His Story
Walter William Highbaugh Jr. remembered as great athlete, dad.
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Everett Highbaugh was a boy when he first realized his father was one of the most celebrated athletes in Vallejo High history. On trips to the school’s Bottari Gym, Everett saw his last name featured on the walls and etched into gold trophies. "Just looking at their little trophy section at Vallejo, I remember the first time I saw my father's gold helmet" Everett said. "That's when I saw his picture right there in the trophy case. When you go in Bottari Gym, they used to have these things on the side of the walls with the track records and baseball records. His name was on more than a few of those."
Walter Highbaugh may have been the finest athlete the school had seen in the 1960s. He excelled In basketball, baseball and football, and ran one track meet for the school. That gold helmet Everett saw was Walter's trophy as the best football player in Napa and Solano Counties. ​Highbaugh was inducted into the Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Reprinted from Times-Herald (Vallejo CA) - Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tamisha Harris
Great great great granddaughter of Fletcher and Mariah Highbaugh.
Her Story
Tamisha was born in Indianapolis, the youngest girl in a large family that valued hard work and independence. Those values of independence and drive were instilled in her at an early age and helped to accelerate her career path. Working in a call center as her first job out of college, she saved money to purchase cameras, editing equipment and a time slot to create/produce a local reality show. The ratings for that show outperformed some of the top syndicated shows and UPN hired her as a Promotions Producer for shows like the Bernie Mac show and Girlfriends.
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She later produced shows, docu-series and news for such media outlets as BET, CBS, ABC and HLN. She is the founder of CameraGirl Media, a dynamic production company creating original content for web and network broadcast.
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Currently Tamisha is a much sought-after media consultant and a producer at MSNBC.
Riley Highbaugh (1853-1934)
Son of Fletcher and Mariah Highbaugh.
His Story
Before the Civil Rights Movement, before the founding of the NAACP and other similar organizations, there was a Riley Highbaugh (1853-1934). Riley was born during slavery, the first child of Fletcher and Mariah Highbaugh. He migrated from Kentucky to Atchison, Kansas around the year 1888, where he worked initially as a quarryman. Riley later owned and operated his own quarry business. He was a fiercely proud landowner as you can see from the attached article. If you messed with Riley’s land you had a serious fight on your hands (he lost this physical confrontation but later won legal rights to the disputed land).
Larry E. Highbaugh (1950-2017)
Great great great grandson of Fletcher and Mariah Highbaugh.
His Story
Larry Highbaugh was a truly legend in his own time. Let’s delve into the remarkable sports journey of Larry Highbaugh, a true athletic marvel who left an indelible mark in various stages of his career:
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High School Achievements (Washington High School, Indianapolis):
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Larry Highbaugh was a three-sport star during his high school years.
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As a sophomore, he contributed to Washington High School’s 1964-65 state basketball championship team.
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In football, he played a pivotal role in the 1966 state title team.
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During his senior year, Highbaugh set the state record in both the 100-yard dash and 220-yard dash.
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His speed and skill made him a phenomenon during a golden era of athletics at Washington.
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Indiana University (IU) Accomplishments:
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At IU, Larry Highbaugh achieved remarkable feats:​
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His victories included the 100-meter, 220-meter, long jump, and sprint relay.
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Highbaugh was a two-time All-American in the 440-yard relay.
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He finished third at the NCAA championships in 1970 and 1971.
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His 100-yard dash time of 9.3 seconds (set at the 1969 Drake Relays) still stands as the second fastest in IU program history.
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As a defensive back, he was part of the 1967 Big Ten championship team that faced Southern California in the 1968 Rose Bowl.
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He was the first athlete to win the “Jesse Owens Slam” at a Big Ten Conference meet as a sophomore.
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Canadian Football League (CFL) Legacy:
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After college, Highbaugh played briefly with the Dallas Cowboys.
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However, his true impact came during his 13-year CFL career:
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He played for the BC Lions from 1971 to 1972 and the Edmonton Eskimos from 1972 to 1983.
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Highbaugh won an impressive six Grey Cup championships with the Eskimos.
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His speed and playmaking abilities earned him three CFL All-Star selections.
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He holds several Eskimos’ records, including the longest kick return (118 yards), longest punt return (116 yards), and career interceptions (66, second most in CFL history).
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Legacy and Honors:
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Larry Highbaugh was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
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In 2006, Canadian television sports network TSN voted him one of the CFL’s Top 50 players of the league’s modern era.
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Larry was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2014
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His electrifying performances made the game more fun and unforgettable for fans.
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Beyond sports, Highbaugh taught at South Gwinnett High School in Snellville, Georgia, where he coached track and field and worked with students with autism.
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Jacob 'Jake' Warren
Husband of Eliza Highbaugh Warren. Son-in-law of Fletcher and Mariah Highbaugh.
His Story
A pioneer in African American education passed away unrecognized on July 14, 1938, at his cottage in Clermont, Indiana. Jacob ‘Jake’ Warren, a former slave, founded the first school for African Americans in Green County, Kentucky. The school operated for five months each year, with Jake as the sole teacher until he migrated north and settled near Clermont, Indiana, around 1887.
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A notable aspect of Warren's career was his limited formal education. He was born on March 1, 1858, in Green County near Louisville. His mother was sold from the Warren plantation when he was four months old, and he was raised by the "white folks." He became a companion to a son of the family who was slightly older than he. Each day after the white boy's lessons were completed, he explained them to Jake, who learned to read, write, and perform arithmetic in this indirect manner. His mistress also assisted him, and with this modest foundation, he eventually gained enough knowledge to teach others when the movement for African American education reached his area.
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Jake Warren married Eliza Highbaugh in December of 1879 in Green County, Kentucky. The couple had four children when they moved to Clermont. The demand for Warren's services as a tenant farmer led the family to relocate frequently within the township in subsequent years. Altogether, the Warrens had seven sons and two daughters.
Jake contributed to the establishment of the West Park View Baptist Church in the Clermont. His funeral rites were conducted at this church on July 18, 1938.
John Thomas Lovell Highbaugh Sr.
Grandson of Fletcher and Mariah Highbaugh.
His Story
On Sunday, February 13th, 1916, at 3 p.m., the Missionary Circle of Second Baptist Church of Indianapolis gathered for a special mass meeting at Shiloh Baptist Church, located at Walnut and West Streets. The purpose of this gathering was both heartfelt and visionary: to discuss the support and sponsorship of “the boy preacher,” John Thomas Lovell Highbaugh, as he pursued higher education at a state university.
Driven by a deep commitment to the Great Commission—“Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel”—the members recognized that, while they might not personally travel the globe, they could still make a profound impact. By investing in the education of this promising young preacher, they chose to extend their reach and fulfill their calling, empowering him to carry their message forward and touch lives far beyond their own community.
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Born into the shadow of slavery’s legacy on December 12, 1899, in Bridgeport, Indiana, John Thomas Lovell Highbaugh emerged as a beacon of hope and transformation. The grandson of slaves, and the cherished son of Jordan and Martha Hazelwood Highbaugh, he rose above adversity to become a legend in his own time. By the tender age of thirteen, he had already earned the title “boy preacher,” captivating congregations with a wisdom and fervor far beyond his years. His early adulthood was marked by tireless travel across the nation, where he became a sought-after revivalist, igniting faith and inspiring countless souls.
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Dr. Highbaugh’s first pastorate at South Calvary Baptist Church spanned fifteen years, a period defined by unwavering dedication and spiritual leadership. His calling then led him to Colosseum Missionary Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he served for four years before returning to Indianapolis. Yet, it was his extraordinary thirty-year tenure at Good Samaritan Baptist Church that truly cemented his legacy. Even as illness forced him to relinquish the pulpit, he remained pastor emeritus, revered by all. He shepherded his flock through tragedy when the historic church edifice at California and North streets was lost to fire, and oversaw its rebirth at 22nd and Broadway—a modern sanctuary complete with classrooms, a spacious annex, and a grand dining hall.
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Dr. Highbaugh’s influence extended far beyond the walls of his church. He was the architect behind the Senior and Junior Ushers Convention and the Central District Mass Choir. His service as a Church Federation Board member and historian for the Indiana State Baptist Convention was marked by distinction. He worked tirelessly with the NAACP and the Masons, and played a pivotal role in the All Baptist Fellowship of Indianapolis, forging unity among black and white ministers in a spirit of brotherhood.
His contributions to the National Baptist Convention of America were equally profound, serving on the Evangelical Board and participating in the National Baptist Sunday School and BTU Congress. In his later years, the International Student Program became especially dear to him, as he devoted himself to supporting foreign students in their academic pursuits.
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A proud graduate of Simmons University in Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. Highbaugh was honored with a doctorate from Central Baptist Theological Seminary. He was, above all, a teacher, a preacher, and a leader whose legacy will never fade from the hearts of those who knew and loved him. His golden footprints are forever imprinted in the sands of time, guiding future generations. Though he has journeyed home, his spirit endures in the lives he touched, and his influence will echo through the ages