Michael Allen Draughon

Ward Wilson Memory Hill Cemetery and Crematory

Viewed: 1797

Posted by: Ward Wilson
Date: Mar 22 2023 8:19 AM

Mike was born April 20th, 1946, to Margarett and Allen Draughon in Columbus, Georgia. His journey began by loading his trailer with milestones and adventures. Unfortunately, one of his first loads was tragically losing his birth mother at the age of three. He then traveled to North Carolina where he was blessed to have a wonderful woman, Hazel Ransdell Draughon, marry his father and take the role of raising him along with three stepbrothers. Mike spent his youth in a military boarding school and at the age of 15 he began working with his father as a truck driver for his father’s business, Allen’s. Moving Service. Mike’s entire career was spent as a long-haul truck driver. In recent times, he was one of the few old school truckers still on the road. He traveled every highway in the continental United States and had the pleasures of carrying unique loads throughout his career from household goods for astronauts to transporting the Batmobile and R2-D2 for Hollywood and retired carrying high-end medical equipment. As you can imagine, Mike picked up many loads for his own trailer throughout his life. In North Carolina he married Hazel and began his family with welcoming his first son and daughter Paul and Angie. Life on the road can be difficult and cause you to experience life events; just as the scenery always changes, so does life. Years later in Florida, Mike married Patricia and added to his family; he then welcomed his second son and daughter, Chris and Karen. Through the years Mike packed in a lot of friends, trucker brotherhoods, and forever family members. He was known for being a grill master, good times, being stubborn, humorous with his metaphors, told it how he thought it was, honest, accountable, high rolling and enjoying the finer things in life, he could get rowdy at times, but most of all he remained a simple southern man. As sceneries continued to change, landscapes developed, more highways were added to the veins of our country, once again Mike’s partnerships also transformed. In California he met and remained with his committed partner Henrietta. Mike was a caring man who would do anything to help others from his children to complete strangers. When Hurricane Katrina hit, Mike was home in Alabama with an empty trailer. He called the local radio station and got word out for those wishing to donate to relief efforts could bring goods to his trailer. He and Henrietta loaded that trailer and headed west as far as they could get. The doors were opened, and they started distributing goods to those in need. They were one of the first big rigs to get in and it was all done voluntarily and by word of mouth. This is the type of man he was. In 2019 Mike was diagnosed with lung cancer. He figured it was time to hang his hat and retire from long-haul. He couldn’t sit around though; he was always a working man and found a local transport to haul FEMA trailers to Florida’s panhandle after, ironically, Hurricane Michael as the devastation and rebuilding still exists today. This last year Mike’s health declined significantly as he continued to give cancer hell; after all, this was part of his stubbornness. His final time was spent at home with Henrietta ensuring he had home cooked meals, the tv on and his children making visits to spend time with him. On March 16 th , 2023, in Dothan, Alabama Mike was dispatched home to be with the Lord. He unhitched his trailer and bobtailed his final stretch to the pearly gates where the highways turn to gold.

Proceeded in death by mother Margarett Phillips Draughon; Father Allan Childs Draughon; Stepmother Hazel Ransdell Draughon.

Survived by committed partner Henrietta Silva; children Paul Draughon (Lee Ann), Angela Kelley(Robert), Christopher Draughon (Sheila), Karen Schlueter(Scott); grandchildren Gregory Roberts, Trevor Roberts, Dalton Roberts, Kyra Kelley, Blake Draughon, Jonathan Draughon, Lauren Kelley, Amberly and Brandon Lowe, Olivia Gomez (Kevin), Brandon Draughon (Elise), Kiley Draughon ,Katelynn Crooms, Savannah and Michael Schlueter; great-grandchildren Carter Draughon and Ana-Mia Gomez.

Celebration of Life will be held April 15 th , 2023 at 704 E Cumberland Court St. Johns, Florida from 3-6pm with the eulogy beginning at 4pm.

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