Gwinnett’s oldest locally owned newspaper - established 1988 Covering Snellville, Grayson, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Loganville
Vol. 29, No. 6
Honor
page 4
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APRIL 2017
Country Church on Hill Celebrates 194 years By Katie Hart Smith Staff Correspondent
Excellence in Careerand Technical page 17
Fairview Presbyterian Church, the country church on the hill, will celebrate its 194th birthday in August, 2017. Two years after the City of Lawrenceville was chartered, Fairview Presbyterian Church was founded on a hill west of Lawrenceville in 1823. The spring below was used to water the horses since the act of attending church services was typically a daylong event for early pioneers. The quaint white church perched atop the hill is in its original location at 875 Duluth Highway (Hwy 120), consisting of its original rafters, columns, and heart-of-pine- floors. “The first pastor was Rev. John S. Wilson. This country church bordered the native inhabitants to the northwest of Fairview who lived in the Cherokee Nation and maintained law and order. “Serving as a moral watchdog for the community, members were brought before session and ‘tried’ for infractions such as adultery, profanity, public intoxication, fighting, slander against other
See 194 YRS on Page 40 A Family Company page 20
Fairview’s historian, Steve Curry and Rev. Robert Sparks
The power of a grandmother’s love
Photo by Katie Hart Smith
A little planning means a lot of love for your family
Best job market Lisa Proctor page 37
INSIDE Picture Perfect 4 Gwinnett Pulse 6 Weddings 18 Roadrunner 24 Health & Wellness 30 Classifieds 34 Spiritual 41 PRESORT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LILBURN,GA PERMIT NO. 99 ECR-WSS POSTAL CUSTOMER
Photo by Auveed Bagheri-Cawthon
On a recent Wednesday morning in March, Attorney Jim Miskell held an estate planning workshop for a group interested in learning about options available to protect their assets and loved ones, during their lifetime, in the event of being incapacitated, and in the best interest of their beneficiaries after their death.
If you don’t have a plan, Photo by Auveed Bagheri Cawthon the state has one for The Designing Grandmothers Club from top to bottom: Linda Davies, Terri you, but you may not Pilgrim, Vickie Malone, Denise Britt Cowell, Barbara Rawlins, Carol Rawlins like it. Your heirs could Durham, Louise Kirkpatrick, and Barbara Garrison. face huge tax burdens By Carole Townsend There’s just something wondrous about and the courts could Staff Correspondent seeing the child of your child; the love runs so deep that many find it difficult designate how your Is there anything greater than a to describe. There is, however, a group assets are divided, or grandmother’s love? In fact, to quote of Georgia grandmothers who not only even who raises your U.S. Federal Judge Judith Levy, “When a child is born, so is a grandmother.” See POWER on page 42 children.
By Carole Townsend Staff Correspondent Everybody has a story, or has heard a story, about the nightmare that unfolded when a loved one’s life was tragically interrupted or cut short by injury or illness. Such a time in any family is fraught with fear, chaos and indecision. Decisions must be made in a highly emotional climate; family members’ opinions and wishes often differ. Critical decisions
See PLAN on Page 27