2018 was the year of jet setting for me, spending the majority of my time in Winston, Missouri, population 258. The population has now been reduced by one; the most special one.
My Dad; Don Wiglesworth passed away January 20, 2019. He left behind many grateful people, me included. He touched so many lives in so many different ways. He was always there to lend a helping hand, sympathetic ears, and words of wisdom. That is, until the dreadful disease, mesothelioma, took his life.
I am and always will be Daddy‘s girl. I am so proud of my dad; a man who dropped out of school in the ninth grade to start working the pipeline in Texas. He joined the Marine Corps at 17 during the Korean War, his MOS was Communications. He got his GED and then put himself through San Bernardino Valley College. He joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 477, where he was a member for over 55 years. He obtained his electrical contractors license and started his own business ADD-M Electric. He was the third largest electrical contracting business in the Inland Empire when he retired at age 52 and returned to his hometown Winston, Missouri. He spent the next 30 years of his life doing the things he loved with the people he loved-his childhood friends, his siblings, nieces and nephews, and his golfing buddies.
My dad was my rock, where I could always go and draw strength and wisdom. He taught me, “Through God all things are possible.”
I am so grateful to those closest to me that allowed me to spend precious time with my dad. We enjoyed the simple things together-playing cards, watching westerns, reminiscing and looking at old pictures. I am so blessed to be surrounded with people that allowed me to do what was the most important thing to me... to be with my dad.
Thank you to my compassionate husband Jim, my assistant Chris, M’Liss Silva and staff (who took over the City News Group newspapers), and my understanding clients... I am forever grateful!