Gwinnett’s oldest locally owned newspaper - established 1988 Covering Snellville, Grayson, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Loganville
Vol. 30, No. 1
Central celebrates 60 years page 5
FREE
NOVEMBER 2017
Greatest Generation Veteran By Larry Gilleland Citizen Correspondent
Hero Award page 9
www.gwinnettcitizen.com
The following information is an edited version of a transcript of an audio tape made by Paul’s family. Jesse Paul was born on June 19, 1916, in Grayson, Georgia, into the modest farm family of Elmer Gilleland and Chloe Viola Turner, both originally from Dawson County. Siblings included John Boyd, Vera Belle (Nash), Eva Estelle (Hewatt), Loyce Lucille (Rawlins) and Jewell Ophelia (Cannon) and James Elmer. All remained in the Snellville area, except Boyd who would eventually relocate to Virginia. The family had been living in the Grayson area for several years and, in September 1935, Elmer paid Otis L. Gunter $370 for 37 acres of land in Snellville bordered by
Springdale and Greenvalley Roads. Timber was cut from the property and taken to a sawmill for constructing of the house. Subsistence farming was quite common in this area, and all family members were needed for cultivation and harvests. Like many young men of that era, and rural location, Paul lived with his parents and worked on the family farm. However, life wasn’t very exciting on the farm so, in February 1938, Paul chose to seek a more interesting life by joining the U. S. Navy. After three months of training in Norfolk, Virginia, he was assigned to the USS Boise, a Light Cruiser, to go on a shakedown cruise (a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested before it enters service or after major changes) to
See VETERANS on page 36
Special Photo
Jesse Paul Gilleland, WWII POW Survivor. In 2001, the Gwinnett section of Hwy 78 was dedicated Paul Gilleland Hwy. The signs are posted on the right-of-way along Hwy 78.
A Bigger Vision
A Heart for Nursing: Happy Birthday Wayne! page 21
Special Photo
Great Days of Service page 22
INSIDE Picture Perfect 4 Gwinnett Pulse 6 Roadrunner 28 Health & Wellness 32 Classifieds 38 PRESORT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LILBURN,GA PERMIT NO. 99 ECR-WSS POSTAL CUSTOMER
Author and Nurse, Katie Hart Smith’s sequel to Aspirations of the Heart, Hope Never Rests will be released on November 18th.
Family calling for Katie Hart Smith and a new release for the Sacred Heart Series
takes this curiosity to a new level in her Sacred Heart Series. When Katie learned the story of Orvada Killion Isensee, her grandmother, Katie had an instant hero. With great personal sacrifice, Orvada made a deliberate change of course in her life. Orvada’s path of least resistance was to marry, have chilBy Tiffany Brix dren, and work on her family’s Citizen Correspondent farm. Instead, Orvada followed her heart and went to nursing school, We all have times in our lives shouldering the consequence of her when we wonder about our an- father disowning her. cestors. We see a photograph of Katie went on to follow in her someone farther down the base of grandmother’s footsteps and anour family tree and wonder, “What swered the same call to nursing— was their life like?” Katie Hart thankfully without such heavy fallout. Smith, our very own local author, See HEART on page 38
Special Photo
Top row from (L-R) - Patricia Peters, Ashley Priester, Epiphany Updegrove, Sandra and Clyde Strickland. Bottom row from (L-R) - Edrick Buthelezi, K’Quane Henry, Octavia Holmes, Natachia Manning, Sandra O’Gilvie
By Tiffany Brix Citizen Correspondent You’ve heard the statistics—on average high school graduates can make about $300,000 more over their career than those without a diploma. That’s the difference between sending kids to college, owning a home, paying off a car, retiring and not having to work, or countless other life-changing possibilities. By taking the step and getting a high school diploma, one person can change their trajectory and affect dozens of people within their circle
of influence. Just here in Gwinnett, there are about 70,000 adults who have not graduated high school. The reason for their disrupted course is inconsequential—it is best to remove as many obstacles as possible for every person who wants to complete their GED. One of the most significant hurdles is not aptitude but schedule flexibility. Many adults who have the desire to get their GED just cannot consistently conform to the schedule needed for completion.
See VISION on page16