Erika Johanna Wiginton

Erika J. Wiginton, 100, passed away on Monday, November 3, 2025 in Abilene, TX.

Visitation will be Monday, November 10, 2025 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Rd. Graveside services will be held Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 2:00pm in Elmwood Memorial Park Cemetery, 5750 US Hwy 277 South, Abilene, Texas.

Erika was born September 21, 1925 in Stuttgart, Germany. She was born to Emil and Emilie Weller Ruf. She had seven siblings with Erika being the oldest girl.

She met her future husband, Porter Wiginton MP in Germany at a store that she was working at in Stuttgart. She came to the United States on the Queen Mary, docking in New York at Ellis Island in 1952. A car from NBC was waiting for her. NBC put her up for three days at the Sheraton Hotel at which time she met her future mother-in-law and the two would later appear on the game show Truth or Consequences.

Erika was gifted a refrigerator for appearing on the show, she gave the refrigerator to her future mother-in-law. As their time was up in NY, NBC flew both of them back to Amarillo. Her future husband was delayed a week or so, after leaving Germany because he was sent to Japan. Upon his arrival back to his hometown of Wheeler, Texas the two were married.

She lived a very simple life having one daughter, Phyllis Wiginton Cansler who lives in Beaverton, Oregon. Erika retired from Snow White Bakery where she worked for 15 plus years. She has 1 remaining younger sister, Martha Hauber who lives in Sweberdingen, Germany. Her husband Porter died in December 1978.

She has many friends who cared deeply for her including but not limited to her caregivers Ronnie Ake and Sara Nunez who loved her as a second mom and were there until the end; Martin Jensen, Melissa O'Neill, Sharon Kelly, Sue Collins, Alice Perez, Sylvia Herrera and Tip Matthews, as well as many more dear friends.

We will be forever grateful to Hendrick Hospice and the nurses that cared for her. Nurse Carol Johnson and Yolanda Solis you were her guardian angels, and she loved you two dearly.

Erika will be laid to rest next to her husband at Elmwood Memorial Park.

Memorials may be made in her honor to Taylor Jones Humane Society, 2301 N 3rd, Abilene, Texas 79603, Hendrick Hospice, 1651 Pine St., Abilene, Texas 79601, or Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 837 Jeanette Street, Abilene, Texas 79602.