Obit of Wiggins, Larry Howard - Woodward County, Oklahoma Thanks to Bakersfield Californian for permission to upload their obits to the USGenWeb Archives. Copyright, http://www.bakersfield.com/ 19 Oct 2008 Return to Woodward County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/woodward/woodward.htm ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::Greenlawn Southwest Cemetery--Bakersfield CA Wiggins, Larry Howard Erma Bombeck wrote: "At the end of my life, when I face God, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could tell Him I used everything You gave me." This phrase epitomizes the life of Larry Howard Wiggins, who used love, compassion, pride, persistence, and determination to rise from a most humble beginning to the founder of Wiggins Oil Tool Co. Inc/S&L Oilfield Services Inc., which is the largest independent casing service company in North America. He died October 27, 2006 after a long-hard fought battle with heart disease. Larry was raised on a rural farm in Manor, Saskatchewan, Canada. Born to a school teacher and a farmer, the oldest son of five children, Larry went to work in the Alberta oil fields at eighteen years old. From there he was sent to Alaska with the first Reading and Bates drilling rig. His mother always hoped that he would return to the farm, but in letters written home, he time and time again replied "this is the life for me". In 1960, craving warm weather, he left Alaska and made his first trip to Bakersfield, CA to work on the oil rigs. In 1961, he was drafted into the Vietnam War and served for two years in the U.S. Army. After his honorable discharge, Larry went to Sacramento, where he found the oil drilling work to be economically depressed at the time. Always the entrepreneur, Larry made a living selling Fuller Brush, vacuum cleaners and lipstick. In the late sixties after oil production rebounded, Larry returned to the oil fields of Alaska. It was there that he founded Wiggins Oil Tool in 1974. Wiggins Oil Tool thrived under Larry's leadership and continuous hard work. In 1978, he opened a branch in Woodward, OK. In 1980, the Ventura, CA branch was opened and in 1982, he relocated to Carpinteria, CA. In 1989, Larry relocated his family from Carpinteria, CA to Bakersfield, CA. At that time he opened another branch in Woodland, CA. In 1990 he started S&K Oilfield Services, Inc in Perryton, TX, with two of his valued managers. This business branched out to Liberal, KS, Elk City, OK, and Longview, TX eventually employing 200. As a passionate entrepreneur and oil field hand, Larry invented a new design for casing elevators. Rather than partner with Farr Oil Tool as they requested, Larry preferred to remain his own boss and gave his design to Farr to build the new style elevator which continues to be used today. Larry was a typical Canadian boy. He had a choice between hockey and curling. He chose curling because it better suited his talent for planning strategy. He started curling as a young boy and was a member of the Anchorage, AK Curling Club. He was the Skip and he victoriously captained both his Men's and Co-ed Teams to win many trophies over the years and eventually the Alaska State Championship. That resulted in an automatic invitation to the National Championship. As a devoted grandfather, Larry and his wife Sandy began Stars Gymnastics in Bakersfield, CA in 1996. Larry's passion drove his granddaughters to excel in gymnastics culminating in the gold medal in the Level 9 all-around at the 2002 National Championship. Today, Stars Gymnastics, Tumbling and Trampoline and Stars Extreme Cheer have numerous National Championships and continue to grow with over 50 employees. Earlier in 2006, Larry and Sandy branched out and purchased a gym in Houston, TX primarily to lend support to two successful former coaches. Larry treated everyone with respect and kindness. He never hesitated to help people in need, sometimes to a fault. He offered chance after chance, always trying to build them up. His motto was "kill 'em with kindness." His personality sparkled, and he was a natural leader. Larry spent his life using all of his talents caring for his family, friends and employees, and they loved him for it. He worked endlessly for the benefit of everyone even working on his last morning. His greatest pleasure was helping and coaching them. Not just a people person, Larry had love and passion for his special friends: Travis, Tasha, Sugar, Rosie and Daisy. Larry has a large and adoring family led by his wife and soul mate Sandra Wiggins; his daughters, Tina Wiggins (Mother DeeAnn) of Chandler, AZ, Theresa Klass (David) of Bakersfield, CA, and Cynthia Wheeler (Jared) of Bellevue, WA; granddaughters, Melissa and Vanessa Klass of Bakersfield, CA; grandsons, Clayton and Cole Wheeler of Bellevue WA; sisters, Marjorie Freundl (Louis) of Manor, Saskatchewan, Marian Lesy (Albert) of Carlyle, Saskatchewan, Marleen Cudmore (Barry deceased) of Manor, Saskatchewan; mother-in-law, Helen Eslinger of Bakersfield; sister- in-law, Donnarae Flamm (Lee) of Georgia. His abundant generosity and passionate spirit will be greatly missed by all. Visitation will be Wednesday, November 1, 2006, at Greenlawn Southwest, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Services will be held on Thursday, November 2, 2006, at Grace Baptist Church, Rosedale Hwy & Jewetta, at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Southwest Memorial Park. Larry Howard Wiggins October 3, 1937 - October 27, 2006 Greenlawn Southwest Mortuary Published in the Bakersfield Californian on 10/31/2006. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Woodward County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/woodward/woodward.html