Remembering Don Hunt, who, as General Manager of The Pickens Sentinel, hired me as the newspaper’s Editor on July 14, 1999, and Jerry Alexander, who was the owner of The Sentinel at the time I was hired until he sold the newspaper two and a half years later. I learned much from both of them and thought highly of them, and they are missed. Don passed away on November 10, 2002, and Jerry passed away on November 6, 2018. (Jerry’s funeral service was held on November 10, the 16^th anniversary of Don’s passing.) Our staff was close-knit and like a family. I wouldn’t mind if someone were to invent a time machine, so that we could go back to about 2001, before Jerry sold the newspaper.

Jerry was a wealth of knowledge in many areas. He had a love for, and wrote several books on, history and genealogy, and he was also so talented at drawing.

He also wrote a column in The Sentinel titled “Well, I’ll Declare.” He inspired me to write a column, as well. I began my column in November of 1999 and titled it “Reflections.” Our columns were on page 2A in each issue of the newspaper, his on the top left, and mine on the top right. The column gave me an opportunity to write an opinion piece or something personal in the newspaper each week (something different from the news stories and the feature stories).

I didn’t know it at the time I went to work at The Sentinel, but we found out that Jerry and I were distant cousins. On my maternal grandmother’s side, we had the same Alexander ancestors. Jerry wrote an extensive history on the Alexander family genealogy, and my grandmother had a copy of his book, as she was interested in genealogy and had researched extensively on our family history, on her side as well as my grandfather’s side.

Jerry was originally from Cateechee, but he lived in Oconee County. He still kept in touch with his native Pickens County, though, and, every Wednesday, he would attend meetings of the Pickens Rotary Club, of which he was a member. He invited me to Rotary and introduced me to the other members there. He would also visit The Sentinel newspaper office at other times on weekdays, and we always looked forward to seeing him.

In recent years, following his retirement, after he sold the newspaper and the magazines he published, he spoke on historical topics to different groups. The photograph below was taken in March of 2017, when a local organization needed a speaker for their meeting, and I recommended Jerry.

I treasure having known him, and I’ll treasure copies of his books he gave me in recent years, and I’ll always treasure his encouraging words. I also am thankful for the promise that he is in heaven, as he was a Christian. As his Pastor said the day of his funeral service at his church in Seneca, when Jerry took his last breath here, he entered God’s presence. I’m glad that, in heaven, there will be no cancer. In heaven, Jerry reunited with his beloved wife of more than half a century, Margaret, who passed away in 2015. He was so devoted to her and took great care of her during her illness.

I also treasure having known Don and treasure the friendship of his wonderful wife, Sharon.

I remember the day he interviewed me for the job as Editor as if it were yesterday, even though it was 25 years ago, and I remember him asking me, “Can you start tomorrow?” 

It was a shock when he passed unexpectedly. I remember that, as I was leaving the newspaper office early the morning of November 11, 2002, to attend and report on a Veterans Day ceremony at one of the schools, the news came that Don had died. I didn’t even have time to process it, as I was headed out the door and had to go to the event, but it was all I could think of as I drove to the school and while I was at the event. Even though he had been gone from The Sentinel for six months, I still respected and thought highly of him. Our staff attended his funeral at his church in Easley that week, and he was buried in Columbia. I’m glad that he, too, was a Christian and look forward to seeing him again one day.

Don was also a veteran newspaperman, as was Jerry, and I highly respected him, as well, for the good man he was, too.

He may have passed away 22 years ago, but I still to this day remember what I learned from him about operating a newspaper.

I also remember that he was a talented woodcarver. Some of his woodcarving buddies would meet with him weekly, at evening time, at The Sentinel office and sit around a table for woodcarving.

Don and Jerry are both missed and will always be remembered.