Gerry Dickens Story



On the evening of May 23, 2003, I stepped into the conference room at the Quality Inn Haywood in Greenville and remarked that I did not know a soul there. That situation changed quickly when someone who looked like a teenager came up and introduced herself as Janet. She gave me a hug too. Then it was a wonderful weekend of meeting cousins, exchanging information and generally getting to know each other.

Special thanks go to Karen and Janet for clearing up some of my questions. Everyone who had a hand in planning this reunion is to be congratulated.

The high point for me was the dedidation at Tyger Church and Cemetery. It was awesome just thinking that all these folks could be attending this memorial for a brave man and woman who started it all so long ago. Thoughts crossed my mind that Reuben and Hannah were charter members of Tyger Church at a time when there were only fifteen states in the new United States and two-thirds of the population lived on the East Coast. Thomas Jefferson was President.

The marker is simply beautiful, a fitting honor for our ancestors. I stood, misty-eyed, with my cousins at the ceremony and realized this was indeed a glorious Memorial Day.

Thanks to all of you who attended and to those who could not but were thinking about us.

And a great big "Thank you" to Reuben and Hannah.

Gerry Dickens

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