This is Marie’s locket. Gladys had it for many years. She took it in to be repaired once and, without asking, the jeweler switched the top of the locket so that the initial looked like a “W”, for Winn. When Gladys gave it to me I had it cleaned, had the top returned to its original position so that the initial was an “M”, and had the original diamonds replaced. The diamonds were so worn that when the jeweler originally checked them, they didn’t register on his equipment as diamonds. There were also one or two that needed to be replaced. The jeweler said that he had a lot of difficulty with the project because the top face of the locket is made with a bottom plate, then the diamonds, then a top plate which was all soldered together. Any time he tried to work with it, it would heat up and begin to melt. Inside there is a black and white profile photo of Marie, which is tinted so that her cheek is slightly pink. The locket doesn’t open flat so I couldn’t scan it.

       Marie met Mr. Gill on a boat coming from England. She went to Canada and he ended up in Hazlehurst, Georgia, where he made furniture and worked on a church in Graham. When his daughter, Nanny, was in 3rd or 4th grade her mother died, so Nanny quit school to help take care of the younger children. Mr. Gill went up to Canada and married Marie. Nanny said Marie was always good to them and looked after them and they were able to go back to school. Marie is buried in Graham. Mr. Gill is buried in Surrency. Nanny is buried in Hazlehurst.