Working side by side with his father for the past 10 years, Buster Manwarren’s life has seen its ups and it downs.
Starting at age 16, he began to help his dad in the family business – Terry’s Auto. The business was located in North Norwich until recently when they moved to a bigger facility in downtown Oxford. Buster says he would put in as much time as he could after school and on the weekends to give his dad a hand.
After graduation, Buster stayed in the area to continue to work with his father and began to take on duties such as billing, scheduling and detailing.
Buster’s life saw its first tragedy when at age 20 his mother was killed in a car accident. He says his parents were married for 26 years and they were one of the few couples that would have been married forever.
Buster himself soon married and within a few years two children were born: Justin, who is now five and Caitlyn, who is four. The marriage did not last, but Buster knew he wanted to remain prominent in his children’s lives. After a turn of events just 10 months ago, Buster got his wish and was granted custody of the children.
He says being a single father definitely keeps him on his toes.
“It’s hard to be the mother and father, but I really enjoy doing it,” Manwarren said. He explains how happy the kids are and feels he has played a big role in making them that way.
“Sometimes it is hard to find the energy to keep chasing them, but it’s worth it,” he said. “ I get right down to their level and try to relate to them.”
Manwarren says he tries to keep the kids active and takes them to almost every event that comes to Norwich. Whether it’s the Pumpkin Festival, Colorscape, the county fair or simply taking them to the park, Buster says he finds it important to take the kids out and have them take part in activities.
With a strong support system from his family, Manwarren explains how they’ve really pitched in to help out with the kids. His aunt, who he says is great with kids watches, oversees the children in Buster’s absence while he works.
Buster works full time and has thought about going back to school to become a primary school teacher, but says that goal is still in limbo as the kids are too young.
“If I went to school and worked full time, I would barley see them and that wouldn’t be fair to them or myself,” he said.
Manwarren says more than half of the staff at Terry’s Auto is family and it is unclear what the future may hold for him and the business, but he says he has his priorities in order and his kids come first. He plans to stay in the area and possibly buy a house in the near future. He says he wants to move to the country and have more property for him and his children to enjoy.