Willie Agnes Higgins Ward, age 100, of 9559 Maury River Road, Goshen, Virginia went peacefully to her heavenly home on Thursday, February 2, 2017 surrounded by her loving family at her home. She was born June 11, 1916 in Longdale Furnace, Clifton Forge, the daughter of the late William Alexander Higgins and Cenie Pheletter Nicely Smith Higgins, and was the last of her immediate family. She was a retired school teacher for the Rockbridge County School System at Bell’s Valley and Goshen Elementary Schools, and also taught for a time in the Augusta County School System at Craigsville Elementary. After her retirement, she taught adults to read. She was a member of the Retired Teachers Association of Rockbridge County, and was the oldest living member of Goshen Baptist Church, where she was a Sunday school teacher. She enjoyed reading her Bible daily, and loved gardening, word search puzzles, and spending time with her huge family. She always had a number of cats which she personally took care of as long as she could and then made sure they were fed properly until she had her stroke. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by the father of her children, Joseph Alton Ward; sister, Della Brads; half sisters, Mary Smith Morris, Nina Smith Bryant, Roberta (Bertie) Smith Waugh, Nora Smith Ratliff, Anna Lee Smith, and Roxie Smith Lotts; half brothers, John Smith and Lee Higgins; and step siblings, Rosie, Dolly, and Chalmer Higgins. She is survived by two daughters, Dorothy Fay Hall of Goshen and Barbara Sue Cox of Buena Vista; twelve grandchildren; fourteen great grandchildren; one great, great grandchild; a number of nieces and nephews; and special friends, Fay Montgomery and Miranda Landrum. A funeral service will be held on Monday, February 6, 2017 at 2:00 PM in Goshen Baptist Church with Pastor Scott Reese and Pastor Tyler Clem officiating. Interment will follow in Riverview Cemetery, Goshen. Pallbearers will be Ryan Hall, Adam Hall, Shannon Hall, David Hall, Mike Hess, Bobby Burke, and Danny Clifton. The family will receive friends on Monday afternoon from 12:30 PM until the time of service at Goshen Baptist Church. Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge is handling arrangements. The family suggests memorial tributes take the form of contributions to Goshen Baptist Church, 51 Baptist Hill Rd, Goshen, VA 24439 or to Goshen Volunteer First Aid.