WorldWide Drilling Resource

Our ri ut to n Angel, T b e a in the Loss of a True Friend . . . by Veronica I. “Ronnie” Jones, Managing Publisher It seems more and more, I have to come to you with sadness in my heart. That is not what I really want to do and that is NOT what I will do for my dear true friend, Nelda. All one has to do is glance at these photos to know she loved life, she loved work, and she loved her family most of all. One should never be sad when such a person leaves us, but rather happy we had them for a while in our lives to share excitement with; the birth of a grandchild, the birth of a company, the moments we have with our spouses or friends. Those are the things we must always keep in our hearts, for those are the things that make life worthwhile and which can never be taken away from us. As the days go by, some say the pain of not being able to speak with our loved ones who are not right next to us is a terrible way to live. I say, go ahead and speak with them, for they are only an earshot away. Remember, unspoken words are sometimes the best words - for when we speak to our loved ones not here on earth anymore, they hear us, we just cannot hear their replies. So let’s all take a moment and smile for our dear friend Nelda, who suffers no longer the heartache of not having Waymon next to her any longer down here, for God knows, she has him next to her in heaven. That’s where all angels go! This top photo was taken several years ago, with Nelda’s daughter, Andrea, Nelda, Hunter, Kylee, and son-in-law Danny during the South Atlantic Well Drillers Jubilee in Myrtle Beach. I can still remember the tremble in her voice that day as she (patiently?) waited for them to arrive for this photo to be taken. She truly loved this family more than life itself. The love of her life we all know was Waymon, her husband of 34 years, pictured here to the left at a Pacific Northwest event out in Portland, Oregon, many years ago. I first met Nelda while working with Doc Faison in the late 90s at his second magazine. She, at the time was employed by King Oil Tools and was learning the ropes from the ground up. She was eager to learn for sure and didn’t falter when asked to attend an event to show the ware of the company. Oh how she loved that job - but really to her it was NOT a job - it was fun. Of course time does not stand still and things change, so with the changes made at King Oil Tools, Nelda moved on to continue her career in the specialty drilling tools made by Western Rubber & Mfg. She was a valued asset to the company for she knew all about the swivels, rubber rings, etc., that go into making the job work in the oil field, as well as the water well drilling industry. So off she went again to many shows. It took a while for people to understand she wasn’t with King Oil Tools anymore, but they knew and trusted her and soon many of her customers followed her. This company was close to home and made it easier for her to be with her love Waymon, as well as her daughter and grandchildren. She was so happy about that. She became a stockholder in this magazine at its inception, not blinking an eye when asked by Doc if she wanted to be a part of it. She knew from the get-go, the drive and determination in the eyes of the founders was enough for her to know, this magazine wasn’t just a whim, as some thought and prayed it wouldn’t last six months. Not Nelda, she always believed in it and looked for those red jackets at every event. She even took a trip with me to CHINA! Yes, we went to Shanghai for a bauma event many years ago. That was a true trip for sure. We had many laughs as always, but that was a special adventure for both of us. No, we don’t speak the language, but oh well, that’s the way we roll at WWDR . She had a great time. As I sit here looking at this last photo I chose, her vibrant smile looking back at me, I too shed many tears, for there are not many times when such an angel and friend comes into your life and spreads a little joy your way. That was Nelda for sure, always there, always wanting to help any way she could, even if it was just a word of encour- agement, which we all need from time to time. So with this I say, talk to you later Nel . . . E W F ET . . . L ST E ORG 39 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® SEPTEMBER 2016