Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 122, No. 95, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 25, 2004 Page: 6 of 22
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PAGE AA- POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25. 2004
Local woman to celebrate holidays with two dads j
from page 1
for hint so ihc\ cluxkcd into .i
mold E.iilv the next morning, the'
relumed to his tddress
I knocked on the door but there
was no answer, so I knocked a little
liardcr Wiggins stud
Finallv after an interminable
wait a woman appeared at the door
and said. Can I help vou ’’
Wiggins told her she was looking
for her biological father and gave
the woman his name The woman s
first response was to tell Wiggins
the man no longer lived at dial
address
Not one to give up casih.
Wiggins then asked the woman how
long she had been living at tltat
address She paused for a long time,
which made Wiggins suspicious
She then said slic'd been there
for two weeks I told her tm name
and the reason for mv visit, and that
I couldn't believe she was telling
me that I had missed him by two
weeks Wiggins said
Suddenlv. the woman held up her
liand to stop Wiggins from talking
and asked her if she could wait for a
moment
As she walked tlirough the door,
she turned and asked Wiggins if she
was being honest about the reasons
for her visit and about her identity
"Site told me she didn't mean to
lie to me but she was verv
protective.' Wiggins said
She motioned for Wiggins and
her husband to come inside the
house
"The woman called into the next
room. Bill, how do you feel about
seeing that daughter of yours9.' to
which he replied. Do what?'.“
Wiggins said
As the woman repeated what she
liad said, a man emerged from the
next room and. recognizing
something familiar about Wiggins,
stopped in his tracks and just stared
at her for a moment
I knew it was him He was
definitely the same man as the one
in my mother's locket. " Wiggins
said
He just looked at me and said.
Dana Michelle.' That erased any
doubts that I had '
The two hugged anil cried
together for a while, and then sat
dow n to gel better acquainted
Wiggins showed him
photographs of Ins two
grandchildren Heather and Josh -
and told him about her life
He never knew mv biological
mother had died so that came as
quite a shock to luin. said Wiggins
After her mother s death when
Wiggins was six. she and her
vounger sister had gone to live with
her mother's cousins
When Wiggins was 12. other
family members adopted the two
sisters
Sistrunk told lus daughter dial lus
relationship to Wiggins's mother
liad ended abruptlv while the family
was living in Alabama
He said he came home from
work at lunchtime and my mom and
I were gone, she said He came
looking for her in Texas but was
rebuffed by her family He was told
that I liad been run over by a car
while riding my tricycle
Sistrunk said he never gave up
looking for his daughter, but when
Wiggins's mother remarried and.
subsequently, her name changed,
the trail disappeared
Because Wiggins had to return to
Livingston on Saturday night for her
job at the Enterprise, the visit was
cut short But. bv then, the reunited
father and daughter already had
made plans to see each other again
He called me every dav for the
next tltrce days in a row I think lie
kept calling because lie said lie
thought it was a dream and wanted
to be sure it was real.' Wiggins
said v
After her return to Livingston.
Wiggins had the unenv iable task of
telling her adopted parents that she
had found and met her .biological
father
"At first my dad cried and that
broke my heart I was happy that I
had found my father but was sad
that it was breaking lus heart
Wiggins said
After the shock dissipated.
Wiggins was able to reassure her
adopted dad of lus place in her life
"He knows that I love Inin and
that this wasn't an attempt to
replace linn He will alwavs be mv
dad Wiggins said
When Sistnink met her dad at a
labor Dav gcl-logethcr at
Wiggins s home, the two were
respectful of each other's place m
iheir daughter's life
At one tune during the weekend
visit mv father said lie was sorrv
that he had missed out on so much
Mv dad lespondcd. Well, because
you did miss out I didn't'."
Wiggins said
Since dial tunc. Sistrunk has
visited Wiggins in Livingston
several times and the two have
plans to spend the holidays together,
along w ith her adopted parents and
her vounger brother and sister, with
whom she has become acquainted
through e-mails and phone calls
It will be the first time in their
lives that Sistnink and lus daughter
have spent a holiday and a binhdav
toget tier
"It's going to be a special lime
for so manv reasons I've never met
my brother and sister, and thev
haven’t 9een our dad in a long time
plus they are going to meet mv
children '' Wiggins said
W licn asked if she harbors any ill
feelings for her father. Wiggins
said "We arc going forward now
with no grudges or regrets about the
past We've both agreed that we
can't make up for the past and that
our relationship started on the day
w c met
Horse owners invited
Polk County and surrounding
counties is home to thousands of
horses. Many of these horses are
high value horses costing several
thousand dollars. Horse theft pre-
vention should be a priority to
horse owners. In the event your
horse is stolen, can you identify
your horse? This and many other
topics will be discussed at a Horse
Owners' Program to be held
Thursday, Dec. 2, at the Polk
County Extension Office Meeting
Room in Livingston. The program
is free and will be from 6:30-8:30
p.m. The speaker will be Dr. Pete
Gibbs, Extension horse specialist
from Texas A&M University, Col-
lege Station.
Topics to be discussed should be
very informative and educational
for all horse owners regardless of
your level of knowledge. Topics
include Horse Nutrition: Horse
Health Issues, including vaccina-
tions; Horse Theft Prevention and
Freeze Branding of Horses. Polk
County is fortunate to have some-
one of Dr. Pete Gibbs’ expertise on
horses to present this program,
which will assist all horse owners.
Plan now to attend this program
and learn about all the topics listed,
as well as bring your own questions
with you for Dr. Gibbs to answer
concerning horses. For those plan-
ning to attend, please RSVP the
Polk County Extension Office at
(936) 327-6828 by Tuesday, Nov.
30.
Social Security office moving
Texas Pepper
Family Restaurant
We’ve had a “steak” in Livingston Since 1985
LUFKIN - The Lufkin Social
Security office will be moving be-
tween Nov. 20 and Dec. 6, accord-
ing to Daniel Bowline, district
manager for the Social Security
Administration in Lufkin.
The new office, which will be
open for business on Dec. 7, will be
located at 702 E. Denman, next to
Lufkin Middle School. The present
office at 701 N. First St., Room
101, will continue to be open for
business Nov. 30-Dec. 6, but wait-
ing times will probably be longer
than normal, according to Bowline.
The office’s toll-free number, 1-
800-772-1213, is available from 7
a m. until 7 p.m. Monday through
Friday, although the office will be
closed Thursday for Thanksgiving.
Mexican Food • Steaks
Pasta • Chicken • Seafood
Memberships Available for Alcoholic Beverages
Convenient Drive Thru Service
See our online menu at: www.easttexasnews.iom
Open 11 A.M. Tues-Sunday • Closed Monday
Owners: Charlie £r Nancy Stovall
(936) 327-2799
930 Hwy. 59 North Loop • Uvingston J
AT
4 Weekend
5*
h
k
4
SPedicro
Since 1953m
4 Thanksgiving
" Sale§
h
4
FURNITURE
FRIDAY
AND
SATURDAY
ONLY
h La-z-boy Recliners -ft
>Y Sealy Mattresses -Y
JY Ashley Dining Room Sets ☆
'( Big Screen TV’s & More *Y
Easy Financing )<
PONT MISS THIS HUGE SALK! ^
Shop at home
And Save!!!
Savings in Every Direction
327-8515
dBnL Located 2 miles west of Livingston on Hwy 190
www.pedigofurniture.com
3785 Hwy. 190 West • LIVINGSTON
m* STORE HOURS:
Mon.-Fri.8:00am-6:00pm
^yx^Jlr ^ N
M J t'Tm Ml Mill
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We offer
FREE
Design
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Call for an
appointment.
Saturday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm l—-y- J —M I ;-1
KYAYAYAm'AnjI
You’ll find a gift for everyone on
your list right here in Polk
County — plus, you can drive
home in 10 minutes!!
Save time and money!
Coming Sunday Dec. 5th...
‘Shop Locally
Christmas
Gift Guide’
in the
Polk County
ENTERPRISE
Space reservation deadline November 26.
_ Call 936-327-4357
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 122, No. 95, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 25, 2004, newspaper, November 25, 2004; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth789283/m1/6/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.