Ferril Wesley Haddaway

Autobiography

of

Ferril Wesley "Wes" Haddaway

I was born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 21^st, 1945, the son of a machinist at Glen L. Martin Company. When I was six weeks old, my family moved to Tilghman Island on Maryland’s eastern shore and that is where I grew up. My father worked at a marina as a machinist/carpenter and we always had a boat, so I quickly came to love the water. Fishing, crabbing and oystering were some of my favorite pastimes and since my father loved the water as much as I did, we spent many wonderful hours together enjoying these sports.

I attended Tilghman Elementary School, grades 1-6, and was interested in drama. I had the lead role in every play from Santa Claus to Master of Ceremonies in a minstrel show. I loved the stage. I lived 13 miles from the nearest high school in St. Michaels, so grades 7-12 meant riding the bus every day. I learned to play the guitar in junior high and the stage changed from drama to music. I had found a new love.

I played in a band at high school dances and in clubs until I graduated. Then I took a job in data processing and did the music part-time. That was 1963. By 1965 I had moved up to working with computers and in the fall of that year, I received my selective service papers to report for a physical. Vietnam was hot, I passed my physical, and enlisted in the Navy.

I spent the next four years working for Uncle Sam as a communications technician. I went to school for a year in Pensacola, Florida, spent 18 months on Guam, a year in Norfolk, Virginia, and the last 6 months cruising the Mediterranean. I was discharged in November of 1969, one day before my birthday. What a present!

I went to work in computers and in 1971 met and married a girl named Faye Palmer from Cambridge, Maryland. I had decided I was a good enough singer to be a star, so we packed up what little we had and moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee – 30 miles south of Nashville – to pursue a career in music. We nearly starved to death for the four years we were there. Then one day I received an offer from a Holiday Inn in Jacksonville, Florida to come and play in their lounge for $175.00 per week. I thought, move over Elvis! I had never seen that much money! So once again we packed up, moved to Florida, and began a career that would keep us on the road entertaining and living in motels for eight straight years.

In 1982 I got involved in a record deal with a businessman from Louisiana. We came to Nashville, things didn’t work out, he went back home, we lost everything and started over here in Tennessee. I took a job managing a entertainment complex, where I worked for five years. Then I opened one of my own with a partner, he turned out to be no good, the business folded, and there I was again – out on the street. This was getting kind of old!

In 1987 my wife and I bought a small farmhouse which we decided to remodel. As we got into the work, I began to realize there wasn’t much I could not do in the way of home improvements. I could do plumbing, wiring, carpentry, painting, ceramic tile work, just about anything. So, I opened up a handyman service in 1988 and worked the next 17 years remodeling.

I had my handyman service from 1988 until 2004. In 2005, I went on the road again playing music and visiting oil rigs. I did extensive research on the oil field business, visiting oil rigs and selling my oilfield CD’s at which time I had written and recorded my first CD. I went on to write and record 3 more CD’s for the oilfield workers.

I have tried songwriting since I’ve been in Nashville, but the politics of the business make it impossible to succeed just on your talent. I did win a songwriting contest in 1987 and got a trip to Hollywood, which was great. I have written several children’s stories and although I did not pursue publishing them, I enjoyed writing them.  I enjoy playing guitar, collecting antique furniture and lamps and writing short stories.

In 1996 my wife and I went to Pulaski, Tennessee to see an old friend whom we had purchased some antiques from and ended up buying a building that was built in 1912 as a mule sale barn. We planned on opening an antique mall however, as the year passed, it seemed that Pulaski needed an event center. During the restoration, we changed our plans and in 2020 opened the barn as Pulaski Mule Co. Event Center. It is one building off the square and is the perfect location for an event center, as it is conveniently located. We have a successful business, and this is where we will retire. We purchased our dream home in 2020, a beautiful historical Victorian home built in 1825 in Pulaski Tennessee which is a quaint little town an hour south of Nashville.

Throughout my life I have made many friends and enjoyed entertaining them with music as it truly is a universal language. I thank God every day as He has blessed me with a wonderful life, a great wife, family and wonderful friends.

                                                                                               Obituary

Ferril Wesley “Wes” Haddaway, 77, of Pulaski, TN passed away on Monday, June 26, 2023. He was born in Baltimore, MD on November 21, 1945.

Wes was a loving husband, brother and brother-in-law. He served his country in the U.S. Navy for 4 years. Wes was a well-known singer/songwriter associated with the oil fields under the name of Wes St. Jon. He was an antique collector who enjoyed restoring lamps and frames. Wes had a handyman business and loved remodeling and restoration. He worked for 25 years restoring the Brick Mule Sale Barn, which now serves as The Pulaski Mule Co. Event Center.

Wes was preceded in death by his parents, George Vincent and Ella Haddaway. He is survived by his wife of 52 years Faye Palmer Haddaway of Pulaski, TN (formerly of Cambridge, MD), sisters Patricia Roe of Easton, MD, Lynn Haddaway of Tilghman Island, MD, brother Paul (Juanita) Haddaway of Easton, MD, brother-in-law Thomas (Terri) Palmer of Hurlock, MD, sisters-in-law Deborah (Tim) Case of Easton, MD and Donna Moore of Fairplay, MD, numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Memorial, Services will be held at Tilghman United Methodist Church on August 19, 2023 with visitation from 11:00-12:00 and the memorial service from 12:00-1:00 followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent the Tilghman United Methodist Church, 5731 Black Walnut Point Rd., Tilghman Island, MD 21671.

A celebration of life will be held at the Pulaski Mule Co. Event Center on September 16, 2023 from 10:00am - 2:00pm in Pulaski, TN.