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S. J. “JAY” GERNERT

S. J. “Jay” Gernert, 92, of Murphy died Sunday (May 13, 2007) in an Athens, TN hospital.  He was a native of Reading, PA, but had moved to Cherokee County in 1951 to manage Birkshire Knitting Mills.  He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Helen Hemminger Gernert.  He had served on the John C. Campbell Folk School Board and the BB&T  Board.  He was member of the Peachtree United Methodist Church, was a 32nd degree Shriner, and was a member of the Murphy Rotary Club, where he was a Paul Harris Fellow.
 
Surviving are two sons, Peter R. Gernert and wife, Lucia of Los Angles, CA and Dr. John N. Gernert and wife, Maxine of Athens, TN;  one brother, Robert W. Gernert of Reading, PA;  six grandchildren , Regina Hanna of Etna, CA, Wilson R. Gernert of Phoenix, AZ, Michelle Gernert of Sacramento, CA, Caroline Maier of Sarasota, FL, Dr. John O’Dell Gernert of Orlando, FL, and Elizabeth Sillay of San Francisco, CA; and five great grandchildren, Dylan Hanna, Luke Maier, John Reed, Ralston Gernert, and Andrew Karl Sillay.
 
Memorial services at 4:00 PM Saturday (May 26) in the Peachtree United Methodist Church with the Revs. Fred Lunsford and David Feathers officiating.
 
The family will receive friends from 2-4 PM Saturday (May 19) at the Andrews United Methodist Church.

The family requests memorials be made in memory of S.J. “Jay” Gernert to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 3229 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229-3095.
 
Ivie Funeral Home, Murphy in charge of all arrangements.
 

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