Wesley George Badgero

Wesley was born October 7, 1924 in Mart, Texas to James Ira and Della Badgero. He had two older brothers, J.I. and Jack, and a younger sister, Delma. He spent much of his youth trying to survive the Great Depression, however this did not stop Wesley and his brothers from constantly pranking each other. The stories of their tricks and tomfoolery would be told to their children, grandchildren, and eventually great-grandchildren. He always had a job, even as a boy, and would shine shoes and sweep out the local stores to make money. He raised milk goats and chickens and he always had a dog. He moved with his family to Mineral Wells in 1937 so his father could work in a bomber plant, and Wesley worked in the Crazy Water Hotel as a soda jerk. His family moved to Fort Worth shortly after, and from there he joined the CCC camp at 15, then enlisted with the United States Marine Corps at 18. In the Marshall Islands, he was in charge of watching and working Japanese prisoners of war, and he soon became friends with them, even sharing his food rations. Wesley never said a word to hurt anyone, and he made friends everywhere he went… even in war. He even impressed all of his superior officers at camp with his magic tricks…tricks he would later go on to show his children and grandchildren. When he came home from the Korean War, he worked as a meter reader for Texas Electric and the water company. At the age of 29 driving through Fort Worth, a beautiful young woman walked in front of his car. She will tell you the sun was in her eyes, but Wesley told everyone she winked at him, which is why he went into the drugstore where she worked and she made him a burger as big as his face and a malt with two scoops of ice cream. He learned that her name was RosaLee, and she wound up being the great love of his life. He would tell anyone who would listen that he had three great loves: RosaLee, gardening and sign-painting. He always had a huge organic garden, and he loved to share his wealth with everyone he knew. He’d ask them what they liked best from the garden, and then take them their favorite vegetables along with a mason jar of his “liquid gold,” the milk from his beloved milk goats. He was known for his extraordinary patience, kindness, and generosity. He never turned away a person in need, whether it be to stop and render aid to a stranded motorist or give someone a job; give them money or something to eat. He would open his home to give someone a place to stay or his land to give someone a place to garden. He had a special way with animals; he could train them to do anything and they followed him where ever he went…even the neighbors chickens would come into his yard and follow him as he worked in the garden or went to get the mail, even sitting on his lap so he could pet them. He went to TCU and got an art degree, and then opened his own sign-painting business, Badgero Signs, of which he was owner and operator for over 60 years. Throughout his career, he would paint innumerable signs for businesses such as Coca-Cola, many trucks for companies such as Goodwill, countless billboards, and many large murals on buildings and roadway walls. He retired at the age of 87; he was an incredible artist and his work was admired by all who saw it. He took great pride in being a father and grandfather as he held a deep love in his heart for children. He always took the time to stop what he was doing to show them a magic trick or pull a tooth with his magic woofle dust or change a bike tire. Never has there been a man so patient and kind as to catch his children for hours after a long day of work as they leaped from the ladder racks on the top of his truck; one who gets up in the middle of the night to fry an egg for a hungry grandchild, because only Pa Pa can fry the world’s best egg. He never turned away someone in need, and in his 90 years on this earth, never made an enemy among man or beast. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a sign-painter, an artist, a magician, a teacher, a marine, a Christian, a story-teller, a back-scratcher, a friend, and a hero who will never be forgotten.