Beth Higdon Trout

Beth Higdon Trout died peacefully in her sleep at home in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, April 12, 2025. A passionate advocate for justice, ground-breaking lawyer, avid cyclist, pianist, gardener, church organist and choir director, Beth was active and full of life until the very end. Born Beth Lois Higdon on August 24, 1936, in Newton, Iowa, Beth was the daughter of Glyde Fox Higdon and Gerald Higdon. Beth excelled at school, debate, and the piano, winning a full Maytag scholarship to attend Iowa State University. Beth graduated from Iowa State in June 1958 and married her high school sweetheart, Jerry Jay Trout, one week later on June 22, 1958.

Beth and Jerry had three children and raised their family first in Des Moines, Iowa, where Beth was active in racial justice work and attended the 1963 March on Washington with a group of church friends. In 1966 Beth and Jerry moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, where Beth was a church organist, avid bicyclist, and a volunteer with the League of Women Voters.

Inspired by a friend from the League, Beth ran for the office of County Supervisor in Marshall County in 1973. Although she lost the race, the campaign helped her realize it was time to do something different. Beth enrolled at Drake University Law School and graduated in May 1979.

When she began practicing law that summer she was the first woman lawyer in private practice in Marshalltown. Beth practiced law for 19 years until her retirement in 1998.

Beth and Jerry fell in love with bicycling early and were founders of the Iowa Valley Bicycling Club. They began riding the RAGBRAI rides across Iowa each year, beginning in 1973 with year two, which was called SAGBRAI. Their enthusiasm for riding inspired many in the Higdon and Trout families to ride with them. 1995, she and Jerry rode their tandem bicycle across the United States with the Iowa 150 group—celebrating Iowa’s Sesquicentennial. They took many international bike trips as well.

In 1998, Beth and Jerry moved to Minnesota to realize their dream of having a cabin in Cass County. They lived happily on Stony Lake near Hackensack for 20 years. Beth was active remodeling their cabin (every home of hers and even one church got a redo), singing in and directing their church choir as well as playing the organ. Beth and Jerry were also invaluable volunteers in building, maintaining, and promoting the North Country Trail.

In 2019, Beth and Jerry moved to Minneapolis to be closer to family and expert medical care for Jerry’s cancer. Beth lovingly cared for Jerry until his death at home in January 2022. After his death, Beth lived a full life of service to her family, community, and church. A week before she died she was out protesting the Trump administration’s illegal actions.

Beth is survived by her two sisters, Marilyn Loupee and Judith Snook, her brother, Dave Higdon, her three children Ellen van Iwaarden (Jim), Laura Trout (Greg Widner) and Anthony Trout (Karen Moeller), four grandchildren: Amelia van Iwaarden (Oren Lavie), Alexander Gill, Coco Carson (Sam), and Colleen Kleinmann (Edgar), and four great grandchildren: Maya Lavie, Poppy Kleinmann, Ari Lavie, and Effie Kleinmann.

Services will be held in Newton, Iowa on Monday, May 19 at 2:00 p.m. at the Center Friends Church, 3174 E. 60th St. N., Newton, Iowa 50208. Another service will be held in Minneapolis at Grace Trinity Community Church, 1430 W. 28th St., Minneapolis, MN 55408 on Wednesday, May 21 at 7 p.m.

Memorials may be directed to Grace Trinity Community Church, address above, or to North Country Trail Association, 229 E. Main St., Lowell, MI 49331.