Zig: The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar

PART ONE The Early Years Mama Married Papa When my mother, Lila Hannifew Wescott, was fifteen years old, she married my father, eighteen-year-old, John Silas "Judge" Ziglar. Their wedding date was December 18, 1902. They lived with Mama's parents, Ephram and Emily Wescott, for six months before they settled in south Alabama near what is currently the town of New Hope. I'm told Mama was different from many young women of her time largely because of the influence of her mother--a successful merchant of sewing materials, sewing machines, and sewing machine parts. In the 1880s few women were independent or enterprising enough to have their own businesses--my grandmother was a true exception. Apparently she instilled her strong-willed personality arising out of her Irish background in Mama, because I never knew Mama to be at a loss over any circumstance. It seems my mama's unusual background perfectly suited her for my entrepreneurial father. Papa farmed, owned a sawmill, operated and managed a shingle mill, and juggled several businesses simultaneously. He was a forebear of the successful work ethic later associated so closely with the 1940s and '50s in this country. My papa, John Silas Ziglar, was a man of action, who balanced family life well with his work. As a family provider, Papa had few peers. He was never wealthy, but his energy and common sense guaranteed that our family never went without. Papa bartered his farmed goods with the people in our community; he drained and sold resin from pine trees; he took the excess syrup from his brother Oscar's cane mill, made cane juice, and developed a "route" where he put cans of cane juice in mailboxes early in the week and collected his money from the mailboxes later in the week. Papa often rode across the Alabama state line to Florida and bought (or traded for) fish, which he placed in iced barrels and delivered to people who had purchased them in advance. In those days no one had refrigerators and very few had ice boxes, so fresh fish had a special appeal. On more than one occasion Mama had to remind Papa to "stop at our house first," since his fresh Florida fish were in such demand. The Judge Papa earned his nickname, the Judge, for his ability to quickly differentiate right from wrong. In addition, he was not shy about sharing his opinion. He was umpire for the community weekend baseball games, and when the Judge spoke, there was no rebuttal. As the story goes, on one occasion the home team traveled several miles for a game that erupted into a loud and prolonged argument over a disputed call by the local umpire. Both teams mounted horses or wagons or set out on foot to travel the distance between the field and our home. You can well imagine my mother's surprise when she answered the front door to find forty to fifty disgruntled baseball players and spectators demanding to see the Judge. The competitors explained the situation. My father rendered his decision, and everyone left satisfied. Debating or questioning the Judge's decision never occurred to anyone. He was a thoughtful man possessed of great confidence. Everyone respected his intelligence, fairness, and judgment. The Love of a Father Our family was full of affection as Mama and Papa were both "huggers." When anyone visited our home, they were engulfed in hugs and surrounded by laughter and love. While Mama was known for the gravity of the few words she spoke, Papa was noted for being quite the talker. His quick wit and fun-loving ways created a joyful atmosphere. I'm told that we used to pile on top of him when he'd arrive home from a "fishing expedition," demanding stories of his most recent adventures in Florida. The stories were always funny yet demonstrated the time-honored "southern traditions" of honesty, character, integrity, faith, loyalty, and love. Papa never misZig Ziglar is the author of 'Zig: The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar', published 2004 under ISBN 9780385502979 and ISBN 0385502974.