Jon "M.J." Vigneron
February 17, 1951 - October 2, 1999
The dance we shared 'neath the stars above.
For a moment, all the world was right,
How could I have known that you'd ever say "goodbye?"
And now, I'm glad I didn't know,
The way it all would end, the way it all would go.....
Our lives are better left to chance,
I could have missed the pain,
But I'd have had to miss.... The Dance.
from the song, The Dance
sung by Garth Brooks
Just a precious few.
Suited perfectly, for enternity,
ME AND YOU.
from the song, Me and You
sung by Kenny Chesney
This site is dedicated to my brother-in-law, Jon "M.J." Vigneron, his wife, my sister, Linda, their sons, Maurice, John and Wesley, his granddaughter, Courtney and to the victims of drunk drivers, whose lives are effected daily by another human being's act of selfishness, ignorance and total dis-regard for another person's well being and right to life.
Jon was working the Midnight to 8AM shift for Kansas Power and Light, finishing a street light repair when he was struck by a drunk driver @ 2:20AM on October 2, 1999 in Topeka, KS. Our family will never be the same, but it is our hope to make a difference for the next victims of this type of horrific crime. Was his death preventable? Absolutely! We as a family are living this nightmare thanks to Tatum Danielle Douglass, who chose to get behind the wheel of her truck and use it as a murder weapon.
Jon was killed on his 28th wedding anniversary. My sister, Linda likes to say that he did make it to their wedding anniversary, since he was killed at 2:20AM and that brings her some comfort. Several days after Jon's funeral Linda found a note Jon had written to himself that said: "Call 97 Country, ask them to play, "Me and You," by Kenny Chesney for Linda." You'll find the first verse to this song on the site, it describes their relationship perfectly. I made the call to 97 Country for Jon, Linda and I sat and cried while it played on the radio.
He loved his yard, flowers and his tractor was his pride and joy. Linda use to tease him and say that they could have bought a new car with what he paid for that glorified lawnmower, but hey...he loved it. He use to embarrass his sons with the manner he dressed in to do yard work. A t-shirt, (had to have holes in it) a pair of shorts, tube socks pulled all the way up and his work boots. His attire became a family joke with us, but for the life of me, I can't find a picture of him dressed this way. You'll find one picture on the site where he's minus the work boots, but it gives you the general idea. He loved his overalls too. He was never in to making impressions on folks. Jon was just plain and simple, a good old boy so to speak, and we loved him for that quality.
He spent 27 years of his life working as a Journeyman Lineman for Kansas Power and Light. He was 'da man when it came to turning your lights back on after a storm or an outage. He worked thru ice storms, blizzards, lightening and thunder. We all knew his job was dangerous but never dreamed in a million years that he would be killed on the job by a drunk driver. We struggle daily with life without Jon, he was the "Grand Pooba" of the family after our own dad died in 1993. We miss you M.J. and want nothing more than to find that 800 number to heaven.
It's the night before Christmas,
And she sits there alone,
Lost in her memories,
That haunt her once happy home.
No stockings are hung,
By the fireside this year,
Remembering the past,
She wipes away tears.
She thinks to herself,
"I just can't go on."
Nothing much matters,
Now that he's gone.
He always loved Christmas,
The lights and the noise,
Especially the children,
When they opened their toys.
"Why" she asks no one,
Again and again,
"Why did this happen?"
"How did it begin?"
She thinks back to October,
That dark early morning,
When this nightmare began,
With absolutely no warning.
She thinks of him standing,
Alone. In the dark,
As his young executioner,
Takes her truck out of park.
He's parked 'neath a streetlight,
That he's just replaced,
Just doing his job,
Careful and steady his pace.
All those years on the job,
Safety was first, every job by the book,
His lights on, all flashing,
So all drivers would look.
Her trucks rounds the corner,
No brake lights come on,
How could she not see him?
In an instant he's gone.
They say he felt nothing,
It happened too fast,
How do they know,
What he felt at the last?
These questions and unknowns,
Will never be answered,
The rest of her life,
His voice will never be heard.
The nightmare continues,
It goes on and on,
The time that it's worst,
Is from dusk to dawn.
She thinks of that person,
That Girl! Out with her friends,
She can still be with her family,
Christmas with them all spend.
The anger consumes her,
It eats at her soul,
The long sleepless nights,
Are taking their toll.
She sits there and wonders,
How will she survive?
She wouldn't have to do it,
If that girl didn't drink and drive.
She remembers his grin,
She feels so alone,
Not that it matters,
He's not coming home.
"He's not coming home,"
Words that cut like a knife,
His sentence was death,
Hers is for life.
He was her partner,
Her soul mate and friend,
She screams at the darkness,
"I want this nightmare to end!"
Written by Sandi Raines, Christmas 1999
dedicated to her "Sissy" Linda Vigneron
And to all the victims of drunk driving crashes
In Loving memory of Jon "M.J." Vigneron,
Killed by a drunk driver on 10/2/99
A 27-year KPL worker and married father of sons was killed early Saturday when a pickup truck struck him as he put away equipment at the back of his truck after changing a street light, authorities said.
The pickup's driver was arrested in connection with driving under the influence of alcohol, said Topeka police Sgt. John Sidwell.
Police said Marius Jon Vigneron, 48, Topeka, was declared dead at the scene after the pickup pinned him against his parked KPL truck at about 2:20 a.m. in the 2800 block of S.W. Gage Boulevard.
Woman's bond set at $25,000 -- Bond was set at $25,000 Sunday for a Topekan being held in the Shawnee County Jail in connection with crimes linked to a KPL worker's death early Saturday in a traffic accident, officials said.
A Topeka woman charged with the traffic death of a KPL Gas Service worker will stand trial May 8 for involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol.
Family members of the victim -- a husband and father -- were among the more than 20 people watching as Tatum D. Douglas, 21, was ordered bound over for trial after a preliminary hearing Tuesday in Shawnee County District Court.
She was charged in October in connection with involuntary manslaughter, a felony, of Marius Jon Vigneron, 48, of Topeka.
There once was a man named Jon,
Beloved husband, father, friend and son.
Whose life was based on honesty and faith,
That God's great world was a wonderful place.
The mountains,the prairies, the desert out west,
All held a wonder that he could not let rest.
His love for flowers, his garden, his trees,
The care he took down to the last little seed.
All tell a story about my brother-in-law,
The man I'll always remember as being 10 feet tall.
I was just a child when he joined our clan,
For 28 years I loved this man.
He taught me about patience, forgiveness and the meaning of love,
His love for my sister was as great as our Father's above.
He loved his family and friends from the heart,
And on October the 2nd we all learned the true meaning of "'til death do us part."
He wouldn't want any of us to be sad,
He often said if something happens to me, "please just be glad."
I've gone on to a much better life,
Where I don't have to fix the darn lights!
I place in God's hands, my brother-in-law,
Now God has an angel that's 10 feet tall.
Written by, Cindy Duffy
October 9, 1999
dedicated with love to my brother-in-law, Jon Vigneron
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