Philip Wigger

Philip Lee Wigger passed away in Anderson, South Carolina on April 25, 2024, following an extended illness.

Phil is the son of the late Olin Lee and Ollie Elizabeth (Blount) Wigger and was born in Goodwater, Missouri March 8, 1936, the third of six siblings and the oldest boy. Phil grew up there on the Wigger Family Farm which Is recognized as a MO Century Farm where four generations of the family have lived and continue working the land to this day. At around 15 years of age, he left Missouri to make his way in the world with a guitar and little else. He worked his way through the mid-West doing odd jobs and playing guitar. At 17, he was working in Salt Lake City when he met and married Alberta May Glad Watts. They had one son, John Lee Watts.

Phil enlisted in the US Air Force in 1953 and was stationed in Rapid City, South Dakota, Minot AFB, North Dakota and Walker AFB, Roswell, New Mexico. It was in Roswell that Phil met his second wife, Ervinetta Maxey Wigger, with whom he had four children. During his ten and a half years in service, Phil obtained the rank of Staff Sergeant. While stationed at Weisbaden AFB, Germany, he was awarded the Air Medal for distinguished service. He was an expert marksman and won competitions.

Phil left the Air Force in December 1963 settling in Rosman, North Carolina where he worked for RCA at a satellite tracking station, owned a pool hall and a service station. In the late 1960’s, Phil and Ervinetta founded what eventually became known as Southern Heritage, a successful sales business for stainless steel cookware. They relocated their family to Anderson around 1970 and Phil honed his sales skills, eventually enjoying success and recognition as a highly awarded salesman. They relocated to a hundred acre farm in Honea Path, South Carolina in 1979, where Phil indulged his boyhood dream of owning a farm just like his father. For several years he was a soy bean farmer until the farming bust of the 1980’s. All 4 of their children worked on the farm and worked in various ways with the cookware business. Having the farm afforded him the pasture space to own and train Tennessee walking horses and he loved nothing more than being at the head of many a trail ride on his beautiful stallion Rusty.

In 2005, Phil married for the third and final time to Patricia Cole Roache, eventually settling in Anderson when the farm in Honea Path became more than he was able to maintain while dealing with multiple chronic illnesses.

Phil had a great sense of humor, a mean horseshoe game, loved to play cards and lived life on his own terms. He was a lifelong Cardinals fan and a 2013 highlight for him was watching them play Game 4 of the World Series at Busch Stadium. One of the last things he asked for was to “find the game” on TV. The continuous thread that wove through all of the facets of his life and bound him was his passion for music.  He learned to play guitar at an early age.   He performed in bands all of his life both in the States and while stationed with the Air Force in Germany.  As members of The Drifters Western Swing Band working on the base during the day and touring around Germany playing music by night, his lifelong friend Gene Blalock gave him his stage nickname Stretch.  Later on, he developed a passion for the pedal steel guitar and taught his sons Philip and Jerry to play drums and rhythm guitar just so he would have a backing practice band at the ready.  He had a fine singing voice as well and loved playing music with various bands all around North and South Carolina. For a time in the early 1970’s, he was an avid go cart racer around the Upstate.

He is survived by his wife of almost 19 years Pat, of the home, his five children: John Lee (Joe Ann) Watts of Riverton, UT, Philip Dean Wigger of Charlotte, NC, Jarrel Lee (Ashley) Wigger of Charleston, SC, Susan (David) Wigger Murrell of Charleston, SC and Belinda Elizabeth (Bryan) Compton of Mooresville, NC as well as 9 grandchildren: Adam, Tammy, Wayne, Amy, Jordan, Lawson, Emily, Ellis and Aiden. He is also survived by his siblings Margaret Midgett of St. Louis, MO, Charlie (Rebecca) Wigger of Courtois, MO, Tommy (Sharon) Wigger of Belgrade, MO and his sister-in-law Doris Wigger of Farmington, MO as well as a whole host of nieces and nephews in Missouri and Michigan. Also Pat’s 2 children from her first marriage, Kerry (Carol Ann) Roache of Mocksville, NC and Tressa Strobl of Easley, SC and their children and grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Phil was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years Ervinetta Maxey Wigger,
granddaughter Caroline May Parker, grandson John Michael Watts, sister Myrna Smith, of Alma, MI, and brother Robert Wigger of Courtois, MO.

His South Carolina family and friends celebrated his life on Sunday, April 27, 2024, at Sullivan-King Mortuary, Anderson, South Carolina with Hospice Chaplain Joy Bryant officiating and Phil’s good friend Joe Turner playing Phil’s pedal steel prior to and during the service. They were led in prayer prior to the service by Phil’s granddaughter Amy Maxey, Ph.D., and he was celebrated in song by his son Jerry and grandson Jordan.

We invite Phil’s Missouri family and friends to celebrate his life on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at DeClue Funeral Home, 301 East High Street, Potosi, Missouri, Elder Mike Jarvis officiating. There will be a brief visitation prior to the service from 11:00 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. Interment with Military Honors, Sam Crocker Cemetery, Goodland, Missouri, immediately following the service.

The families are grateful for the compassionate services of Rainey Hospice House, Anderson, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, we encourage donations to Hospice of the Upstate, 1835 Rogers Road, Anderson, SC
9621, Sam Crocker Cemetery, 295 Highway Z, Belleview, MO 63623 or a charity of your choice.