DCN 2015 Senior Superlatives

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A special publication of

June 2015

There are some people that know how to dress to the nines, but then there are those chosen few that take fashion to the next level.

Roger Slaton and Carol Tyger are Dawson County’s Best Dressed seniors.

It could be Tyger’s crazy hats and exotic shoes or Slaton’s seer-sucker suits and elaborate ties, but either way, their sense of style is

sure to catch attention when seen around town.

A longtime mem-ber of the Dawson County School Board, Slaton owns a local State Farm Insurance Agency, while Tyger is retired and spends her spare time volun-teering with vari-ous organizations throughout the community.

Best Dressed.........................................................................................Page 2

Mr. & Ms. Dawson County......................................................................Page 4

Most Artistic................................................................................................Page 6

Best Sense of Humor.................................................................................Page 6

Most Dependable.......................................................................................Page 7

Most Spirited...............................................................................................Page 7

Mr. & Ms. Congeniality................................................................................Page 9

Most Southern Charm................................................................................Page 9

Most Successful.......................................................................................Page 10

Most Influential.........................................................................................Page 10

Most Athletic.............................................................................................Page 11

Most Likely to Brighten Your Day...........................................................Page 12

Best All-Around........................................................................................Page 13

Most Photogenic......................................................................................Page 14

Most Talented...........................................................................................Page 15

2 | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com JUNE 2015

Senior Superlatives of Dawson CountyCitizen

Best Dressed

David Renner Dawson Community News

WORDS OF WISDOM:

‘Herbert Robinson once told me: You may not be the best, but you can do your best and look your best doing it.’

Roger Slaton

WORDS OF WISDOM:

‘My motto in busi-ness was that my success depended on me - and I dress for success. And fashion can be fun.’

Carol Tyger

Carol Tygerand

Roger Slaton

dawsonnews.com | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 3JUNE 2015

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No one represents the aura of Dawson County better than Gordon Pirkle and Helen Taylor.

Dawsonville’s official racing historian, Pirkle might know more about NASCAR than every-

one else in the county combined.

In addition to owning the world famous Pool Room, where the walls are covered in news clippings chronicling NASCAR Champion

and native son Bill Elliott’s rise to fame, Pirkle is also the curator of the museum at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.

Like Pirkle, Taylor is a bit of a history buff when it comes to the goings on in Dawson County.

For decades, Taylor’s columns about the life and times in Dawsonville have appeared in the local newspaper.

A former educator, she retired to Dawson County in 1982, fol-lowing a career with Atlanta schools.

Not content to settle down after retiring, Taylor went to work making changes in the county.

“A lot of people just moved up here and sat down and relaxed,” she said. “But a lot of newcomers got involved and Dawson County has really profited by

it,” she said. Taylor was instrumen-

tal in restoring the histor-ic courthouse, organiz-ing a historical and genealogical society and publishing the Dawson County

Heritage Book series.She also helped bring

the “Adopt a Highway Initiative” to the county, restore the old jail and transform the old Rock School into the Bowen Center for the Arts.

Mr. & Ms. Dawson County

WORDS OF WISDOM:

‘It’s worth getting involved in. Dawson County is worth people’s time and energy.’

Helen Taylor

Gordon Pirkle and Helen TaylorDavid Renner Dawson Community News

WORDS OF WISDOM:

‘Try to live and do what’s right and treat people like you want to be treated.’

Gordon Pirkle


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Dawson County has voiced its opin-ion, and it believes that JoAnn Johnston and Allen Ferg are its two most artistic peo-ple.

Johnston has been painting since she was a child.

Now retired, she shares her artistic treasures with family and close friends.

“I just love to paint. If it wasn’t for paint-ing and my friends here at the [Margie Weaver Senior] cen-ter, retirement wouldn’t be as good for me,” she said.

Ferg said he was born into a family of “professionally trained artists,” but it wasn’t until he retired from his law practice that he was able to focus on his sculpt-ing.

His media includes cast in bronze, terra cotta, clay, plaster and resin

Some of his pieces can be found in gov-ernment buildings, such as his bust of Richard J. Hughes, former New Jersey Governor and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in

the New Jersey State Bar Headquarters and his sculpture bust of William Dawson, the namesake of Dawson County, in the Dawson County Government Center.

Johnson’s work, much of which depicts animals, has been featured in sev-eral local art exhibits.

Her paintings can also be found on the walls of various friends’ homes.

“If they love it that much, of course, I have to give it to them,” she said.

WORDS OF WISDOM:

‘Always smile, even when you’re blue.’

Katherine “Kay” Somerville

WORDS OF WISDOM:‘Find humor in every job you do, because, if it messes up, you’ll still have something to smile about.’

Jimmy Hamby

Most Artistic

Allen Ferg and JoAnn Johnston

Best Sense of Humor

Photos for the Dawson Community News

Jimmy Hamby and Katherine “Kay” Somerville may be the most fun peo-ple in Dawson County.

Guaranteed to make you laugh, Hamby and Somerville can often be found cutting jokes, telling fibs and generally cracking up those around them.

“You’ve got to keep smil-ing,” said Sommerville, who at 94 keeps her friends at the Dawson County Senior Center in stiches day in and day out.

She even jokes with staff

at the center, telling them they are going to be fired if they don’t serve caviar and wine for lunch.

Hamby also almost always has a smile on his face and is quick with a joke, an old story about how life used to be in Dawson County or a fun memory, where he doesn’t mind taking a stab at him-self.

“That’s what’s it’s all about. You’ve got to have fun,” said the county’s District 3 Commissioner.

Katherine “Kay “Somervilleand

Jimmy Hamby


Michele Hester Dawson Community News Michele Hester Dawson Community News

Whether it’s cheer-ing on a favorite driver or celebrating civic achievements, Edwin “Ed” Looper and Barbara Hubbard are the Most Spirited seniors in Dawson County.

A lifelong resident of Dawson County, Looper owned a

small grocery store for more than 30 years in downtown Dawsonville, where he never met a stranger.

At 82, he is weeks away from receiving his 60 year masonic pin, an honor he said he’ll cherish.

“That means a lot to me,” he said.

While Hubbard grew up in nearby north Forsyth, Dawsonville has been her home for more than a decade.

A longtime racing fan, she is a volun-

teer at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and consummate promoter of Dawsonville’s unique racing heritage.

“I love racing. I’ve always loved rac-ing. It’s just a big part of my life,” she said.

They are there when you need them.

They have a hard time saying no.

They are always the first to volunteer their assistance in most any situation.

Wayne Watkins and Judy Cox are Dawson County’s Most Dependable seniors.

A founding mem-ber of the local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Watkins remains active in the organization that supports his fellow brothers that served.

Cox, wife of the late Joe Lane Cox, who served as mayor of Dawsonville for many years, contin-ues to be a spokes-person for promot-ing the town that means so much to her family’s lin-eage.


Most Spirited

WORDS OF

WISDOM:‘I say all the time: praise the Lord. That’s where all of my blessing come from.’

Judy Cox


WORDS OF WISDOM:‘I may be called dependable, but I depend on my brother veterans and my church.’Wayne Watkins

Wayne Watkinsand

Judy Cox

Most Dependable

Barbara Hubbardand

Edwin “Ed” Looper

WORDS OF WISDOM:‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’

Edwin “Ed” Looper

WORDS OF WISDOM:

‘Behave and stay out of trouble and you’ll go far.’

Barbara Hubbard

Michele Hester Dawson Community News


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Pepper Pettit and Geneva Bearden have been voted Mr. and Ms. Congeniality of Dawson County.

Always seen with smiles on their faces, Pettit and Bearden can light up any room.

“You know, when you smile at some-

one, just about 100 percent of the time, they are going to smile back,” said Bearden. “So I’m always smiling.”

With a passion to help others, Bearden served many years on the Dawson County Department of Family and Children Services board of directors. She also had a career with the USDA helping farmers in the community.

Charismatic and charming are just a few words commonly used to describe Pettit’s personality.

Always eager to lend a hand, if he has one fault, it might possibly be that he does not know how to say no, according to friends.

“I’m passionate. I’m a people pleaser,” he said. “I like to make people happy.”

The votes have been tallied and Cecil Bennett and Vaudell Sosebee are the Dawson County seniors with the Most Southern Charm.

Bennett is currently a greeter at Walmart, where he’s often seen giving a hug to a friend or shaking

hands with a long-time neighbor.

Sosebee’s daily activities are quite similar, as she’s one of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame’s most dedicat-ed volunteers.

Museum officials said that multiple reviews come back

from visitors express-ing their delight in having Sosebee give them tours of the museum, where a collection of memo-rabilia is on display from her late hus-band Gober Sosebee’s esteemed racing career.

Mr. & Ms. Congeniality

WORDS OF WISDOM:

‘Gober loved racing and I never fussed at him for it, because he enjoyed it. If you love some-thing, do it.’

Vaudell Sosebee


WORDS OF WISDOM:‘I try to live the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’

Cecil Bennett

Cecil Bennettand

Vaudell Sosebee

Most Southern Charm

Pepper Pettit and

Geneva Bearden

WORDS OF WISDOM:‘Smile and the world will smile back.’

Geneva Bearden

WORDS OF WISDOM:‘Don’t be anxious about anything. My dad used to always tell me that.’

Pepper Pettit


James Swafford and Linda Townley have been voted the Most Successful seniors in Dawson County.

Swafford has served as the county’s District 1 Commissioner since 2009, while Townley is currently serving her third term as Dawson County Tax Commissioner.

A lifelong resident of Dawson County, Swafford is a deacon of Bethel

Baptist Church and a member of Etowah Lodge No. 222 F &AM. He is also a Vietnam veteran and retired federal gov-ernment worker.

“I love Dawson County. My family has been here for many generations,” Swafford said. “I love and have respect for all the citizens of this great county.”

Townley, who has also served on the Etowah Water and Sewer Authority board for more than 25 years, is a former mayor of Dawsonville and also served 10 years on the Dawson County Board of Education.

“Life has really been good to me. I’m not rich, but I have had opportuni-ties. I’ve had a lot of chal-lenges, but I feel like that I have made a difference and helped people along the way,” she said.

“I just feel like I need to give back as much as I can because I want to show that women can do anything they set their minds to.”

WORDS OF WISDOM:‘You can get more done when you don’t care who gets the credit.’

Mike Berg

WORDS OF WISDOM:‘Follow the golden rule and treat others as you would want to be treated yourself because, as my father always, said: What goes around, comes around.’Elaine Wilson

WORDS OF WISDOM:‘Be honest, work smart, use common sense - and Matthew 6:33.’James Swafford

Most Successful

James Swafford and Linda Townley

Most Influential

For the Dawson Community NewsMichele Hester Dawson Community News

Mike Berg and Elaine Wilson are Dawson County’s most influential leaders.

As chairman of the Dawson County Board of Commissioners, Berg is consistently recognized at the local, regional and state level for his com-mitment to serving Dawson County.

First elected in 2005, he is currently serving his third term.

“I knew that I was going to stay here for however long I was on this earth and so I felt like it was impor-tant to me to give back. I had that

expertise so I wanted to share it,” he said.

Before moving to Dawson, he also served as a commis-sioner in Gwinnett County.

Wilson has also devoted many years to serving her commu-nity, having been on the Dawson County School Board since 2004.

She taught high school for 19 years, prior to taking a posi-tion in the school sys-tem’s administrative division and later seeking a seat on the board.

Mike Berg and Elaine Wilson


WORDS OF WISDOM:‘Remember, your name is all you have. So protect it by doing what is right and moral.’Linda Townley

For the Dawson Community NewsMichele Hester Dawson Community News

Nicky Gilleland and Barbara Wallace are Dawson County’s Most Athletic seniors.

It’s been more than 50 years since

Wallace scored a three-point shot in a regulated game, but give her a basketball, and she’ll show you how it’s done.

Today, she tries to stay as active as she was decades ago. Whether it is water aerobics or walking, she finds time to stay fit.

“I still exercise every week,” she said, split-ting her time between activities at the Dawson County Senior Center.

A former basketball coach, teacher and

school superintendent who retired in 2009, Gilleland remains active by helping out with the grandkids, which he says are the light of his life.

He began his teach-ing career in 1974.

He later spent 18 years as principal at Robinson Elementary School before serving as associate superin-

tendent and superinten-dent for Dawson County.

“I love this communi-ty and I’ve never want-ed to be anywhere

else or do anything else. I hope I can con-tinue to be a part of what happens in this community,” he said.

Most Athletic

WORDS OF WISDOM:

‘You’re just as good as anybody up there, but you’re not any better than anybody.’

Barbara Wallace

Nicky Gilleland and Barbara WallaceMichel Hester Dawson Community News

WORDS OF WISDOM:

‘Stay in church. Stay close to your savior.’

Nicky Gilleland



When things aren’t going your way, look no further than Bill Sexton and Mary Sosebee to brighten your day.

A veteran of both Korea and Vietnam, Sexton is often referred to as “Sweet William” - or, lately, “Sugah-free Willam”, as he is sometimes know because of his kind, compassionate per-sonality and love for friend, family and neighbor.

“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “You have to be kind and take care of each other.”

Sexton walks the walk, spending his free time construct-

ing memorial mark-ers for Dawson County men and women currently serving in the mili-tary.

Sosebee is known to her family and friends as someone they can always count on to make them smile.

With a can-do attitude and a pas-sion for life, she encourages those close to her to fol-low their hearts.

“Always stand for what you think is right and you will succeed. I’ve always done that, and I’ve been blessed my entire life,” Sosebee said.

Most Likely to Brighten Your Day

WORDS OF WISDOM:

‘Put Jesus first in your life.’

Mary Sosebee

Bill Sextonand

Mary SosebeeWORDS OF WISDOM:

‘Out of your pay-check, pay your-self first. Put back a little bit every month.’

Bill SextonMichele Hester Dawson Community News

Some people have a certain trait that makes them stand out. Then there are

those whose qualities are multiplied, like Mike Sosebee and Diane Lemley, who

are Dawson County’s Best All Around seniors.

Sosebee is currently the longest standing member of the Dawsonville City Council with more than 30 years of ser-vice.

A proponent of the city’s revitalization

plan, Sosebee repre-sents the council on Dawsonville’s Downtown Development Authority.

Lemley has been one of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce’s most active members.

“It’s kept me busy in a way that I enjoy. I’m busy, but it’s a

choice,” she said. In addition to her

work with the cham-ber, Lemley is a mem-

ber of First Redeemer Church and is active in a weekly, women’s Bible study group.

Best All-Around

WORDS OF WISDOM:‘Get a good education and learn everything that you can.’

Mike Sosebee

Diane Lemley and Mike SosebeeDavid Renner Dawson Community News

WORDS OF WISDOM:‘We have two ears and one mouth, which means we should listen more than we talk.’

Diane Lemley


Most Photogenic14 | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com JUNE 2015

Jennifer Lyness

and James

Grogan

See PHOTOGENIC | 15 Photos By David Renner Dawson Community News

We Love Our Seniors

DAWSONVILLE 706-216-1906

Congratulations to each of our Superlatives!We appreciate everything you do for Dawson County.

GAINESVILLE770-536-6734

Some people shy away from cameras, but when you’re as photogenic as James Grogan and Jennifer Lyness, it’s

easy to get a great picture.

Grogan and Lyness were voted Dawson County’s Most Photogenic seniors.

“Well, how about that,” Grogan said when he heard the news.

Grogan has served as the mayor of Dawsonville since July 2012.

Lyness is ordinarily behind the camera, snapping shots for advertisements in the Dawson Community News, where she has served as

advertising director for more than 20 years.

She’s a diehard Georgia Bulldog football fan and she also follows NASCAR.

“I love NASCAR, especially Kevin Harvick,”she said.

In her free time, she enjoys spending

time with her grand-kids.

FROM 14

PhotogenicWORDS OF WISDOM:‘Always be kind to others, no matter what you do.’Jennifer Lyness

Gerald “Bug” Swafford and Sharon Wenson are Dawson County’s Most Talented seniors.

Growing up in a family of musicians, Wenson developed a love for gospel music at an early age.

“It was the music I learned as a child, and I have always appreciated and loved it,” she said.

Today, she shares that passion with fans of all ages while per-forming each Friday morning at McDonalds in Dawsonville.

“A lot of the time, we have people that get up and do some clog-ging or some dancing. It’s spontaneous. Every week is a little differ-ent,” she said.

A skilled woodwork-er, Swafford also developed his craft from a family connec-tion.

“I learned from my daddy and from right here in this building,” he said referring to the Bowen Arts Center, which was once a wing of Dawson County High School.

Swafford has now

built wooden podiums that he donated to each school in the county, as well as one at the art’s center and most recently one at the Dawson County Board of Education.

Most Talented

Sharon Wensonand

Gerald “Bug” Swafford


For the Dawson Community News


WORDS OF WISDOM:‘Psalms 27:14 teach-es me to be patient but courageous in all I do.’James Grogan


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