Donald Lee Wightman
Donald Lee Wightman, age 77, of Rogersville, MO, passed away Dec. 13, 2019, at Mercy Hospital surrounded by family and friends. He was born Sept. 28, 1942, in Braymer, the son of the late Nell and Jerry Holyfield. He was the older brother of Janell Holyfield. Once Don married his best friend, Fran, on Sept. 4, 1982, they never looked back. They lived a full life with family, friends, cars, horses, basketball games and cheering on the Chiefs. Fran was the center of Don’s world. Don truly thought Fran was the most beautiful woman in the world.
He graduated from Braymer High School in 1960. He served in the U.S. Air Force in Fargo, ND. After his discharge, he attended Southwest Missouri State. Don was the founding member and first president of the Southwest Missouri State Veteran’s Club in 1969. The Veteran’s Club started with 14 members and grew to over 150 members under Don’s influence and leadership.
Don worked in the mobile home industry all his life and started his own mobile home sales lots in 1989, growing into five separate sales lots in the Springfield area. Don and Fran expanded their business to owning several mobile home parks.
Don was also an avid horse trader. He loved his America Quarter Horse Association friends and family. Don, Fran and Dakota had numerous adventures showing horses. Don won a Select Reserve AQHA World Title showing his gelding, Pub Crawl in Amarillo, TX and the PHBA World Title with a Palomino mare, Millies Tradition.
Jeremy Marzen introduced Don to his new hobby late in life of showing classic cars. His favorite car was a 1946 Ford Full Custom purple Lead Sled.
Don was preceded in death by his parents, Uncle Virgil Wightman and Aunt Georgia Wightman, who raised him on a farm in Braymer.
He is survived by his wife, Fran Wightman; son Jeff and Lisa Putnam of Nixa; daughter, Tamara Putnam of Prairie Village, KS; niece, Dakota Watkins of Godley, TX; five grandsons, Zane Meeks of Reno, NV, Marcus Meeks and Dylan Meeks of Prairie Village, KS, and JD Putnam and Lance Putnam of Nixa; great nephew, Ryker Watkins of Godley, TX; one sister, Janelle Holyfield of Springfield; and two brother-in-laws, Bobby Watkins and Jerry Watkins and wife, Beverly of West Plains, MO.
A visitation will be held from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, at Greenlawn Funeral Home East, 3540 East Seminole, Springfield, MO. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, December 16, at the funeral home with burial to follow at Rivermonte Cemetery. Services will be officiated by Reverend Riley Hall of Springfield. In lieu of flowers, family requests memorial contributions be made to St. Jude’s Hospital.
