1952-2021

The inspiration behind the Stillwagner Sauce & Rub Co…

My dad Billy (‘Billy Mac’ as he was known), was born of humble beginnings in Lindsay, Oklahoma in 1952. He was an old school cowboy his entire life and anyone that ever knew him would agree.

Dad lived one hell of a life. He was a professional rodeo cowboy for many years. In addition to bull riding, he would also perform as a rodeo clown. It was awesome seeing him mess with those bulls the way that he did.

Also in his younger years when the rodeo season was over, he took work as a Hollywood stunt driver, a ranch hand, a shoe smith, and as a leatherworker to make ends meet. If it was a cowboy job, he did it.

After his wild years, he met and married my mom and had me and my bother. He became a truck driver to support his family and did that up until he had a stroke in 2012.

When he was finally well enough, I moved him and my mom to be close to me in this great state of Texas. Even though my old man was stuck in a motorized chair, he did not let that keep him down. He would zip around all over the neighborhood getting to know everyone (I guess I got the social butterfly gene from him). I miss how he would ring my doorbell at 6am on a Saturday morning just to annoy the hell out of me. My dad was a mischievous character (which I also inherited) and would always get a shit eating smirk on his face when he got a good prank on you. He had a great sense of humor.

My dad was a dreamer, but never really pursued his dreams because he was always putting others first, even if it was to his own detriment. My dream was to one day start a food business with products that had a unique flair. So that’s exactly what I did.

Sadly, my dad’s health gave out and he passed away in August of 2021 at the age of 69. I’m still not over it. It breaks my heart that he never got to see me accomplish something that we both always wanted, which was property in the country. I put his name on my tractor so that while I’m using it, I reminisce about all of the things I miss about him.

To honor my dad and chasing dreams, I used a picture drawn by his uncle when he was 18 years old and made it my logo and named my BBQ sauce after him. And to honor his old cowboy roots, I chose an old west theme for my marketing. All future sauce and rub names will also be named in honor of things in his wild west life.

 

Dad,

I wish I could see the smirk on your face as you looked at yourself on a bottle of Billy Mac’s BBQ Sauce. I’m really glad you got to at least taste the original flavor back when I was creating it. You would LOVE the Rattlesnake! (Even though you hated snakes with a passion!)

You told me many times over the years that you were my “biggest fan”. I hope I did you proud and that you still are.

Love and miss you always.

-J. Stillwagner Sr.
-Owner, Stillwagner Sauce & Rub Co.