Miz Headwig-gone, but not forgotten!

Words from my children on and about "Miz Headwig":

If I remember right, the girls would have been in the 8-12 age range when they brought her to life.

(From Lynisha:)

One day some of us kids were playing in the basement and came across Mom’s photo mannequin head. We started goofing off with it, setting it on our head, and then I decided to pull my shirt up so the neck was around the mannequins neck. Jana thought it was pretty funny so she wanted me to go upstairs and show Mom. It was such a big hit that we decided we should really “do something” with it! We figured out that if we laid a ruler on my head, that would make perfect shoulders for “Headwig”. (After all, all she was was a head, and a wig!) Then came the logistics of the clothes. It had to be something thin enough that the person under the “head” could see where she was walking, have a tight neck, and be long enough. Jana made the debut, and a star was born. I took over the act not long after it began – Jana was getting too tall and that just didn’t work so well. It was the best part of having “new” company; Miz Headwig would always come for a visit. The poor lady could never speak, she was always suffering from bouts of laryngitis, but nevertheless she rarely had trouble expressing herself. The hardest part of “playing the part” was not laughing, especially in new situations. I don’t remember how it came about that Miz Headwig was invited by the Hospital Volunteer Services Coordinator to visit at the hospital, but we weren’t about to turn that down! We shocked and stumped a few ER doctors and nurses when they found Miz Headwig in the ER bed, waiting for a diagnosis (she was voice-less again), but the most fun was when she dropped her hankie while walking past the construction crew. Polite gentleman that they were, they picked it up for her, and were QUITE startled when she turned around to take it from them!!!

It was disappointing when I got too tall to accommodate the Miz Headwig act, because Dalayna was still too short to “pull it off” so therefore the poor lady simply disappeared.

From Jeanne:

One of my favorite memory of Headwig was when we took her to the hospital to visit patients. We put her in a wheel chair and she would drop her handkerchief and men would stop to pick it up and then do a double take when they handed it back to her.

From Dalayna:

I never got to play Ms. Headwig. I was pretty young too so I don't have to many actual funny memories of it. I just remember everybody thinking it was so funny. My favorite was when Gordon was there. Hands down the funniest reaction I ever saw from Headwig. Didn't Ms. Headwig put her arm around him?? I thought everybody was going to die from laughter.... He was so red!

And from the mom's point of view....
As you can imagine we've had alot of funny crazy things go on in our household for a lot of years. I have to say that I think Miz. Headwig was the funnest, and the longest lasting.
The first time that the girls showed her off to company at our house, I thought we were all going to die laughing. They came up the basement steps, around the house, and knocked at the front door. Everytime they did it, It looked so crazy I was afraid the neighbors would call the cops because of strange "people" sneaking around our house!
We'd have company open the door, explaining that we had a friend who wanted to drop by to see them. She never spoke, as of course her mouth was closed, but she often cleared her throat, & often had the sniffles, so would have to use a hanky.
Miz. Headwig was introduced to many of our minister friends who were visiting, and often on special meeting round visits.
Seriouslly the funniest one was a young man who came by to visit after being at one of our conventions. When he opened the door to her knock, If I remember right, he nearly slammed it back in her face he was so shocked! Unfortunatly I can't find the picture I have of him sitting on the couch with his arm around her. That was after he'd finally convinced himself that this wasn't really some freak of nature, but someone having fun.
I wish I could have seen the hospital adventure the girls had... That story got re-told many times
To have a video would have been priceless.
Headwig's been gone for quite a few years now, she really got worn out and had to be laid to rest, Poor soul. But, what memories! What fun!