Virgil (Gad) and Ellen Dee Gregory Whitley
Joyce Whitley Stasel, daughter of Virgil and Dee Whitley, provided this picture and information.
Pictured are Virgil (Gad) and Dee Gregory Whitley in about 1915. Gad, born Jan 2, 1894 and died
Nov 5, 1977, was the son of Jonas and Martha West Whitley. Dee was born May 8, 1897 and died
May 9, 1984. She was the daughter of Chesley Bridgewater (Ches) and Sarah Elizabeth Butcher
Gregory. Ches was the son of Thomas and Sallie Gregory Gregory, daughter of Big Tom and Betty.
Thomas and Sallie are pictured on this website.
Dee and Gad had four children and they resided in downtown Pleasant Shade.
Gad was the Pleasant Shade blacksmith (from the 1920s - 1970s) and was noted for being an expert at his
trade. The location of his shop is noted in the schematic of Pleasant Shade also shown on this website.
Gad was well known for being a great prankster and played many pranks on the locals as well as
being the recipient of many pranks and practical jokes. He was well liked by all who knew him.
Gad and Dee are buried in Sanderson's Cemetery at Pleasant Shade.
Note by Tom Dickerson:
I have a story about Gad and my father, Dewey Dickerson. Dewey contracted with Gad to build a harrow.
Gad completed the job except for the painting. Dewey was in a hurry to prepare his fields for planting so
he informed Gad that he really didn't care if the harrow was painted or not and he would like to pick it up.
But Gad said, "Like all of my work, I do not consider the harrow complete until it is painted." So my dad
had to wait for the paint job. This was an example of the level of detail and pride in his workmanship that
Gad applied to his trade and products.
According to his daughter, Joyce, Gad got his nickname because he was a "gad-about".
Below is an article honoring Gad that was published in the Nashville Tennesseean in 1962.
