D.W. and Mary Lee Smith Dunn It has been my good fortune over the last few years to attend the reaffirmation of wedding vows by two of Wilkes Counties finest couples who were each celebrating more than 50 years of happy and successful marriage.

Deacon D.W. Dunn and Mary Lee Smith Dunn were married on March 27, 1954, in Washington, Georgia. In a wedding ceremony, performed by Rev. Robert Walton in the presence of a full wedding party and scores of guests, they reaffirmed their vows on April 3, 2004, after more than 50 years of happy marriage. They made the decision to reaffirm their vows because of their gratitude to God for allowing them to reach that milestone. Additionally, they were not able to have a wedding when they first got married, so they decided that this was a wonderful opportunity to do so and to affirm their commitment to each other.

During their now nearly 56 years of marriage, God has blessed them with five wonderful and productive children, Dorothy Ann (Roy L.) Gresham of Springfield, Va.; Daniel, Jr. of Rome, Ga.; Lee Allen Dunn of Charlotte, N.C.; Danny (Jeanette) of Washington; and Larry (Vestine) of Washington. The Dunns have been blessed with twelve beautiful and smart grandchildren and three darling great grandchildren.

When asked to give advice on how to make one’s marriage last a lifetime, they respond that they took an oath before God and man “til death do us part.” They meant it when they repeated their vows to one another and they mean it now. In other words, there are no exit signs in their marital relationship.

Mrs. Dunn further states that couples must have God in their lives in order to endure the ups and downs that will come their way. Moreover, she states that couples must never stop communicating. They must love one another and be faithful to one another. They must learn to build cooperation and understanding between one another.

Deacon Dunn adds that both spouses should be of the same faith and that the husband should take the lead in spiritually guiding his family to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and in keeping his family in church and Sunday School. He points out that a marriage will be blessed if it consists of not two, but three people: the husband, the wife, and Jesus Christ. Deacon Dunn adds that a husband must be serious about his responsibilities and about the future of his family.

The Dunns count as their most precious memories the birth of each of their five children and the opportunity to participate in their growth and development into independent, God-fearing adults. While Mrs. Dunn is semi-retired from a career that spans 45 years at Wills Memorial Hospital as a nursing assistant, Deacon Dunn actively continues his career as a truck driver which he began when he returned to Wilkes County after completing five years of dedicated and honorable service in the United States Army back in the 1950s.

He speaks proudly of the opportunities and relationships he has had over the years at his various places of employment. Clearly, from the onset, the Dunns have felt it important to model a good work ethic for their children and now for their grandchildren. Moreover, three of the Dunn children chose to serve in the military: Dorothy, Danny, and Larry.

Larry completed a 20-year career in the United States Marine Corps and since his recent retirement, he continues to proudly serve in his second career as a JROTC instructor at Thomson High School. During Deacon Dunn’s five years of active duty in the Army, Mrs. Dunn and their first two children were able to accompany him during their twoyear assignment to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri (Daniel Jr. was born while they were stationed there); their 17-month assignment to Kaiserslaten, West Germany; and on his final assignment to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. She vividly remembers the challenges of her 13-day trip, by ship, with their oldest daughter and oldest son to join her husband in Germany.

A beautiful, caring, and loving Christian couple, the Dunns are quite active in the church. They have maintained membership in their ancestral churches since worship services, until recently, have occurred on different Sundays of the month. A lifelong member of Youngs Chapel, Deacon Dunn is Chairman of the Deacon Board and Superintendent of the Sunday School. A lifelong member of New Ford Baptist Church, Sister Dunn is president of the Mothers’ Ministry, church treasurer, trustee, and she serves on the choir and kitchen committee. They are quite active in both churches and are very supportive of each other.

With regard to raising children, Deacon and Mrs. Dunn offer the following advice to young parents:

Raise your children in the church. Take them to Sunday School and other activities of the church. Pray fervently for them each day. Be mindful of who their friends are. Don’t allow them to get mixed up with the wrong crowd. Communicate with them throughout the day each day. Maintain a firm hand.

Discipline them and make sure they know that you love them and that you have high expectations of them. Train up your children in the way they should go. Trust God. Lean and depend on Him.

Deacon and Mrs. Dunn are a loving, caring, Christian couple who make a positive difference in the lives of their children, grandchildren, and the community at large. Indeed they are “Unsung Heroes of Wilkes County.” We are so grateful and so blessed to have them in our midst.