Wayne Wishard's Birthday is Today, March 13

Wayne Wishard's birthday is today. Had he lived he would be 100 today.  I loved working with him although he worked very hard and hardly ever worked less than twelve hours a day when you combined his work on the farm and the grocery store.  For the first years of my life I thought of him as a farmer, but when I was beginning my teen years he became a butcher working for Wasson meats in Wolfe City Texas, Union Produce in Ladonia, Piggly Wiggly in Honey Grove, Woody's in Wolfe City and Jesse Smith's in Honey Grove.

He had a big smile at work and loved to find good cuts of meat and sell them at a good price in these stores.  He enjoyed the people and the funny stories passed along as he sold beef.  On the farm he raised beef and loved the farm and ranch business because of its connection with nature and the independence of owning his own farm. In a way he had the best of both world's.  He loved to interact with people and the air conditioning in the store was better than the hot, dusty world of custom haybaling which he had done as a side business as a young farmer.

For me personally he was always training me to quit being a "cry baby" and "grow up" and "be tough".  (Still working on this at 68 years of age.)  If I sprained my ankle in football on Friday night he thought the best therapy was "walking it out" working on the farm or in the grocery store the next day.  Work was therapy for everything in dad's life.. He had lost his dad when he was only twelve and stepped into helping his family at a young age.

Work was therapy for too much play.  Work was therapy for being too hot in the summer, go to work in the store, its cool.  Too cold in the winter, go to work in the store.  Its warm.  Tired of working with live cattle on the ranch, go to work in the butcher shop and sell beef to the people who need food.  Tired of working in the store and need some time away.  Go to work shredding pasture or hauling hay.  Good therapy.  Work therapy.

Except for one day a week.  Sunday. One day a week he took the day off mostly.  In the morning he might feed the cows, but for most of the day he rested.  He read his Sunday school lesson.  He was an independent thinker.  Usually had a counter point in Bible class.  He taught himself to read by reading True Detective Magazines.  He then cleaned up and shaved and headed to sunday school and church.  After church it was listening to or watching the sports on television.  Especially the Dallas Cowboys and naps in the afternoon.  Then in the evening there was Sunday night youth class and pm church.  After church there was Forty Two with family and friends.

Wayne Wishard was about working to provide for his family.  He was about having fun with his farm work and butcher work.  He enjoyed supporting his kids in school at sports and celebrating life with family and friends.  Happy Birthday Daddy and thanks for the training in "work therapy" and celebrating the joy of life in Cowboy country.

Larry Wishard