Family of Gary^10 Dexter Van Wicklin
[Photo shows three generations of Van Wicklin "Eagle Scouts" -- from left to right are Gary^10 Dexter; Dexter^9 LaVern; Jonathan^11 Gary; and Frederick^10 Dale. More information in source section below] Courtesy of Esther Van Wicklin via 22 Feb 2011 email.
Gary^10 Dexter Van Wicklin (Dexter^9, Frederick^8, Perry^7, John/Unis^6, Jan^5, Paul^4, Garret^3, Gerrit^2, Jentie^1
Jeppes), b. 1957, in Detroit, MI
Married: Esther Louise Fowler (b. 21
August 1955) on 9 February 1991 in Farmington, MI
Children:
1. Jonathan^11 Gary Van Wicklin, b. 24 September 1992
Parents:
Gary's parents are Dexter and Charlotte Ann
(*Zhlngi)Van Wicklin (*maiden name encrypted)
Esther's parents are Elsworth Leroy and Rose [Vajda] Fowler.
Background information:
Gary^10 Dexter Van Wicklin (Dexter^9, Frederick^8, Perry^7, John/Unis^6, Jan^5, Paul^4, Garret^3, Gerrit^2, Jentie^1
Jeppes), was b. 28 November 1957, in Detroit, MI. He m. Esther Louise Fowler
(b. 21 August 1955) on 9 February 1991 in Farmington, MI. They
have one son, Jonathan Gary Van Wicklin.
Children: Jonathan^11
Gary Van Wicklin, was b. 24 September 1991
Source:
Personal email correspondence (13 June 2000) with Fred^10 Van Wicklin.
Personal email correspondence (12 October 2005; 7 July 2006) with Esther Van Wicklin
Three generations of Eagle Scouts [Gary^10 Dexter; Dexter^9 LaVern; Jonathan^11 Gary; and Fred^10 Dale] provided by Esther Van Wicklin via 22 Feb 2011 email. Dexter earned his Eagle Scout badge while still in high school during the 1930s. After Pearl Harbor was attacked, Dexter was drafted and served gallantly in the Pacific, especially on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. While he was away in the service, his widowed mother moved around quite a few times and lost most of his personal effects, specifically his Boy Scout memorabilia. During the 1970s, when Dexter's two sons, Fred and Gary, were going through scouting, he wished he had his Eagle badge to display at meetings with his sons. When Dexter's grandson, Jonathan, was going through scouting, he made mention, several times, that he wished that he had his Eagle badge and was disappointed that his mother had lost it while he was away at war. I asked the local council if we could replace a World War II veteran's Eagle badge. I told them the circumstances and they wholeheartedly agreed that a replacement badge was owed to this man.
Jonathan's Eagle Court of Honor was coming up and he decided it would be an honor to share his ceremony with his grandfather. The ceremony was planned for the long Thanksgiving weekend because we had to allow some time for his Uncle Fred to come into town. At the ceremony, Fred presented the replacement Eagle badge to Dexter, and then Gary presented the Eagle badge to his son, Jonathan. All four of them, Grandfather, two sons and a grandson--all Eagle Scouts, wearing their badges -- were in front of the audience where we were able to take this memorable photo. What made this presentation so special is that Dexter did not know he was going to be presented with a replacement badge. It was truly a special moment in our family's history. Dexter now has his Eagle badge on display in his living room next to his WWII medals. A write up of the event was printed in the Observer [the local paper] on 30 Nov 2008 under the title "Local teen maintains family's Scout tradition."