|
Dan Wheeler
Dan Wheeler Wrecker Service
Houston, Texas
Centerville, Texas
Dan Wheeler bought his first light duty tow truck in 1958. In 1965, Dan purchased his first heavy duty tow truck and towing and recovery of heavy duties has been his passion even since. Both of Dan's two sons, Danny and Edward, are actively involved in the business. Dan Wheeler Wrecker Service is one of the pioneers for bringing up to date equipment such as wheel lifts, extra heavy boom trucks and rotating cranes to the Houston area. His company is one of the five partners in the ITR Eighteen Wheeler Recovery system in place by TX DOT. Dan has served as an officer for the Houston Automobile Wrecker Association; is a charter member of Texas Certificated Towing Association which is now TTSA. Dan is an active member of numerous community, state and local organizations dealing with safety in both the towing and trucking industry. Dan's motto is "ONE CALL DOES IT ALL!!”
Glen and Janice Coy
Hidden Valley Wrecker Service
Houston, Texas
Hidden Valley Wrecker Service, Inc. was started in 1964. In the words of Janice, "through hard work and good fortune we have been in business for 40 years." The Coy's started in a Shell Service Station on I45N @ W. Mt. Houston Rd. with one small tow truck. In 1975, Shell bought the station back to turn the station into the 2nd self serve in Houston. This is when Hidden Valley moved to it's location on W. Gulfbank just E of I45 and was the beginning of their venture into heavy duty towing. Janice says that Glen assured her that life would be much easier with shorter hours and more time off! Ha!
Hidden Valley now operates 9 heavy duties and a truck and trailer with the help of 14 employees. Glen and Janice have been married for 45 years and have worked together for 40 of those years. God has blessed them with good health and 2 wonderful sons, Glen Jr. and Keith. Their sons are a tremendous asset to Glen and Janice both in their personal life and their business life. They have 2 great granddaughters, Brandi and Shannon and are also blessed with 2 special granddaughters, Kali and Kassi.
Glen and Janice have been active in the Willis High School Agricultural and 4 H programs for many years. They contribute to these programs by sponsoring animals for students as well as belt buckles for their show awards. Also, through the years they have sponsored several Pee Wee Baseball teams. Janice says that they have a good life and wouldn't change anything.
Herman E. Kokel
Kokel’s Wrecker Service
Austin Texas
Herman was born in Walburg, Texas. He went to Zion Lutheran School which was taught in German. English was the secondary language. He moved to Austin, Texas in 1946 and started working as a mechanic for Yellow Cab Company. He installed the first meters in Austin. In 1948, he went to work for C.B. Smith Dodge Dealership as a mechanic. He worked as mechanic, service manager and service advisor for several Dodge Dealerships until 1991. In 1981, he started driving a tow truck for Dependable Motors on a part time basis for the city rotation system and as a mechanic. After the dealership closed, he went into business for himself. His two sons ran the wreckers and he had a dispatcher dispatching from home. In 1991, Jean retired from the State of Texas and became the dispatcher and helped with the business. In October of 1991, Herman left the Chrysler Dealership to run the towing company full time. His company went from 4 tow trucks to 19. In 2002, he closed his business. Both sons are in the towing business, too. He and Jean have been married for 54 years. They had three children, a daughter that died in 1977. They have 6 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.
Herman and Jean belong to Redeemer Lutheran Church and Herman loves to listen to Polka Music. His other Hobby is to still dispatch and help his sons at their tow truck business, too.
Lavern Gibson
Gibson Services
Henderson, Texas
Lavern Gibson started working in the towing business when he operated a one tow wrecker for his father and mother's Gulf station in Henderson. With his new wife, Willa, by his side, Lavern began operating independently from his parents as Lavern Gibson Wrecker Service in 1960. As time went on, they gravitated toward doing heavy duty towing only. He had wreckers stationed in Longview, Marshall, Carthage and their main office in Henderson. He later added oilfield and heavy hauling to complement the towing business. He joined Texas Towing & Storage Association soon after it was formed and has served as secretary, vice president and president of the association. He remained a member until he sold his business in 1996. Lavern always believed in maintaining his equipment in top shape and he demanded that his employees promote a sense of professionalism and courtesy. He believed in the value of education and always enjoyed exchanging new ideas with the other members of the association. Lavern went to the first wrecker school in West Palm Beach, Florida and he subsequently sent each operator to school to keep them up on all the latest towing and recovery techniques. For many years, Lavern had the only set of air cushions in East Texas and he regularly went to Texas A & M at College Station to demonstrate their use. Lavern was one of the Texan's that met in Kansas to form the Towing and Recovery Association of America and remains a director of the Association today. Lavern served as city councilman in Henderson for 14 years and served as Mayor Pro-Tem several times. He is a 52nd Degree Mason and is also active in several local service clubs in Henderson. At the present time, he is deacon of First Baptist Church in Henderson. He was a volunteer fireman for 30 years and he currently serves as a director on the Rusk County Rural Fire District Board. Lavern developed a sterling reputation built on honesty, good service and fair prices. He always said that a satisfied customer would always come back. Above all, you always knew where you stood when you dealt with Lavern. If he told you he would do something, he did it. After 35 years in the towing industry Lavern sold the business in 1995 so that he could spend more time with Willa at their buffalo ranch in Henderson. Although he sometimes misses the action of running the business day to day, he still stays in touch with the industry and the great friends that he made.
Lonnie and Joyce Ferril
T- Miller Wrecker Service
Amarillo, Texas
It all started in a small town in the Texas Panhandle called Shamrock. In 1959, Lonnie Ferril, a spunky 19 year old, was driving the school bus for the basketball team of the local high school. Joyce, a 14 year old beauty, was playing on the freshman basketball team. In late 1959, Lonnie had been off on one of his many youthful excursions and when he returned to Shamrock, he made Joyce a deal. He said that he had been lots of places and done a lot of things but hadn't been married yet. Would she marry him? She said -yes. and so their life together began. They were married on August 11, 1960 in Shamrock at her parents home and moved to Amarillo not long after . The next year, along came Lonnie, Jr. Lonnie became an Amarillo City Police Officer. At nights and on the weekends in order to make ends meet, he, also, worked for the towing company called T-Miller Wrecker Service. Joyce got her cosmetology license. They started Cherry Ave. Auto Salvage in 1962. In 1963, Lonnie and Joyce bought one half of T-Miller and in 1964, they bought out the other half of the business. At that time, they had two1966 Ford trucks with homemade wrecker beds. They moved to the salvage yard in 1966. On February 18, 1968, they were again blessed with a second son, Byron Ferril. They started buying trucks and land along the way and at present own 11 tow trucks, 2 tractors, 4 trailers, and numerous other pieces of equipment that make them "World Famous"! They moved from the original location on N. Polk t the present location on E. 10th in 1978. They have added to the salvage yard location and now own 28 acres that make up the salvage business. They own 3 locations for different storage facilities and in 1999 purchased an Auto Crushing business and the equipment that goes with it. The "World Famous" slogan came from a local wrestler, Dory Funk. Back in the 1960's, he was known as "World's Greatest" so Lonnie picked up on this and said it was because everyone else in town was afraid to claim that they were the best...so he did. He eventually changed it to "World Famous" because no one had claimed that either!! Lonnie Jr. is married to Jeni and they have blessed Lonnie and Joyce with 2 grandchildren, David and Megan. Byron is married to Laverne and have blessed Lonnie and Joyce with 3 children, Madison, Trevor and Christa. In December of 2003, Joyce was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. Lonnie and Joyce semi-retired from the business in January, 2004. Lonnie remains as the CEO of the Board of Directors. Their sons are now taking care of the legacy that these two fine hard working people started. June 14, 2004, not only did Lonnie lose his sole mate, their children and grandchildren lost the center of their family, the T-Miller employees lost their "MaMa Joyce" but the tow industry lost a close personal friend.
Pam Jackson
Jackson Services
Bay City, Texas
Pam Jackson was a beloved wife and partner to her husband, Buster in their towing business in Bay City. She was a co-owner and drove a light duty tow truck while Buster drover the heavy duty. She would assist Buster in turning over trucks and other responsibilities related to towing of vehicles both big and small. Jackson Services is involved in light and heavy towing; truck and trailer repairs; general and diesel mechanics and tire repairs. She and Buster participated in TTSA meetings and was a very productive and resourceful person. Pam was active in the Matagorda County 4 H Youth Development program. She was a 4 H volunteer leader assisting with activities and projects including the rabbit and food projects. She was also a supporter of the Matagorda County Fair. She bided and purchased items from the home economics food action and sponsored the full riding event in the name of Jackson Services. Buster's life was changed on April 28, 2003 when Pam died very suddenly from an unknown illness. He lost his "best friend" and co worker. We all lost a wonderful woman in the towing industry and suffer that lost along with her family. We are honored to present Pam Jackson as a Hall of Fame recipient.
Raymond Tayor, Sr.
Home Motors, Inc.
San Angelo, Texas
Raymond Taylor started his early life as a bell hop in 1940. He became Assistant Manager of Cactus Hotel in 1948, the first Hilton Hotel. He managed St. Angelus Hotel and was owner of Maynard Courts. He began working for oilfield businesses in the late 40's. His hobbies were building and driving race cars. He went all over the country racing midgets and sprint cars. In the late 40's and early 50's, he married and had two sons and quite the race cars and began promoting race car business in San Angelo. He started selling used cars in the early 60's. He needed a wrecker for repossessing cars for his dealership so he traded several used cars for a tow truck. The new car dealerships noticed the condition of Raymond's tow truck in how clean, neat and no time his service was so they asked him to tow their business, too. Raymond started Home Motors Wrecker Service in 1964 due to his experience in the oilfield business experience and the towing business. Home Motors acquired the San Angelo city wrecker contract in the mid 60's. The company still holds the contract today. The company expanded to include a salvage pool in the 60's but sold it when his sons went to college and to the Navy. When the boys came back, they came back as partners in the business. The extra time allowed Raymond to acquire commercial rental property and dabble in the cattle market. It also gave Raymond time to work with different civic organizations. He has served on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce; Board of Directors of TTSA starting in the early 80's; the San Angelo Boys Club for 8 years and Board of Directors for Sonrisas Therapeutic Riding Club. He also has served in the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo for 34 years and the San Angelo Emergency Corps for 26 years. Home Motors has 14 units including two heavies and 1 landohl plus many support components. Raymond continues to be in any supervisory position as needed. Raymond's hobbies and work relations now are going to the ranch to check on the cattle; making an occasional wrecker tow in one of the rollbacks or just staying home working in the yard or playing with the dog. He awaits the annual fishing trip to Alaska or Florida with his son or grandson who now runs the business. He remembers his friends in the business like Jimmy Speed; Kelly McKnight; Lonnie Ferril; Ron Bergland, and many others who have made the towing industry in Texas famous across the nation.
Larry Cernosek
Cernosek Wrecker Service
Deer Park, Passadena, Texas
Larry and Linda married 26 years ago. They have 3 children, Josh, Lance and Leah. Larry started in the towing business in 1975 and then opened a body shop business in 1981. Larry has always been active in politics. He has run for Mayor of Deer Park a few times. He stays on top of what is going on politically and uses his contacts and connections to help small businesses -- especially in the towing industry and auto repair business. Larry has received many awards and recognition for his work in his community. He serves on several nonprofit boards including serving at St. Peters Episcopal Church on its vestry which governs the operation of the church. Larry says that business is always "picking up" and he meets the nicest people by "accident"!! He has been Chairman and has served on the board in other various positions for many years. He is a major supporter for Friends of Towing and has been a member and member of TRAA. Many bills would not have been successful legislatively had it not been for the Larry's tireless efforts.
Click here to view past Hall of Fame award recipients.
|
