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Local News

Friday, June 19, 2009

Mustang carries memories
By J. STEVEN DILLON

STAFF WRITER

OTTAWA -- Phil Higley doesn't have to look far for memories of his father, the late Serge "Adam" Higley.

Phil Higley has a mint condition 1965 Ford Mustang parked in his mother's garage east of Ottawa to help him recall his dad, who died in 2004.

"We restored and sold a lot of cars over the years, but the Mustang was one of his favorites," Higley says of the "rangoon" red convertible which appropriately has an "Our Dad" front license plate.

"He was always a big Ford guy."

Weather permitting, Higley plans to drive the 289-cubic-inch, V-8 car about 20 miles east to the Classic Memories Car Show at Findlay's Owens Community College on Saturday.

Classic Memories, now in its fourth year, is open to all makes and models of cars, trucks and motorcycles.

This year's show, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is dedicated to longtime Flag City Classics car club member Bill Woolley, who died in October. Woolley's truck is expected to be among several hundred on display at the show.

Higley said he likes to show off his dad's Mustang, which he inherited in 2005, whenever he can.

The Higleys have long been partial to Fords in general, and Mustangs in particular.

His grandfather was one of the top Ford salesmen in the country in the 1920s, selling hundreds of Model As and Model Ts from a dealership in Townwood, a small village east of Leipsic.

Serge Higley, in turn, grew up around cars and always favored Fords, Serge's wife Mabel recalled.

While raising a family of five children and working for 40 years at Weather Seal in Ottawa, Serge found time to run "Mustang Corral," first in Townwood, then behind the family home when the Higleys moved to rural property east of Ottawa in the 1970s.

Through Mustang Corral, Serge sold parts, mostly for early Fords and, of course, Mustangs.

"It was just a hobby, but it was something he really loved doing," Mabel Higley said.

While Serge Higley helped restore lots of vehicles over the years, he was most proud of three cars -- a 1931 Model A five-window coupe, a 1935 Ford five-window coupe, and the 1965 Mustang.

The Mustang was first acquired by the Higleys in Findlay in the 1970s and has remained in the family ever since, with the exception of a short period of time in 1999.

Serge had started the restoration but sold the car to his oldest son, Raymond, who lived in Georgia. Raymond ended up selling it to a man who planned to finish the restoration and show it, but wound up putting it on the market due to an illness.

On a trip to visit his son in Georgia, Serge Higley spotted a Mustang for sale and decided to buy it.

It wasn't until he got it back to his shop that he discovered it was the same car he had earlier sold his son.

"Rangoon red was a pretty common color for Mustangs that year so he didn't think anything about it at first," Phil Higley said. "At some point, he was doing some body work on it and recognized some of his own work."

"At that point, he knew it was the same car."

Phil Higley helped his dad finish the restoration by 2002, but by then his father's health was on the decline. Serge was only able to show the vehicle once, at a parade in Kalida.

Phil Higley, who also owns a 1966 Mustang coupe, said he never expected to end up with his dad's Mustang.

His father had asked him once about owning the convertible, but Higley said he never counted on it, especially after differences arose between him and his dad.

After Serge died in December 2004, the will was read. In it, the 1931 and 1935 vehicles were left to Phil's siblings. The Mustang was bequeathed to Phil.

"It surprised me," Higley said. "Even though we had our differences, my dad knew the only person who loved that car more than he did was me."

Since inheriting the car, Higley has taken it to several major car shows.

It won a first place in the "occasional street driven" category of the Mustang Club of America's grand national in Youngstown in 2005.

And last year, Higley took a second in the same class in the Mustang Club of Ohio's annual statewide show in Dublin.

The car was also featured in the January issue of "Mustang Times."

Higley said he has been offered more than $21,000 for the car, but said he can't yet imagine parting with the family gem.

His mom, who lives nearby, has offered her son a spot for the Mustang in her garage for "as long as he needs it."

"There's still just too many memories attached to it," Phil Higley said. "Besides, my wife (Bonnie) says if I ever sell the car, I go with it."

Dillon: 419-427-8423,

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After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

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Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

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The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

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Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

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