Wilbert Jernigan speaks at retirement celebration

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 Union Springs Herald Page 11

Commissioner Doc McGowan, Bullock County Commis-

sion Chairman Ron Smith, Wilbert Jernigan, Commis-

sioner James Perry and Commissioner Johnny Adams

Cecelia Cogburn, Wilbert Jernigan and Rashawn Faniel

Wilbert Jernigan and Jeffrey Jernigan

Willie Jernigan, Sidney Jernigan, Sr., Wilbert Jernigan

and Rev. Jimmie Bell

Neara Reed, Wilbert Jernigan, Lucrecia Baldwin and Leola Cooks

Wilbert Jernigan and Judge Theresa Daniel, Mistress of

Ceremony

Lt. Louis Murry, Presetta Walker, Chanissa Raybon,

Yvonne Cox, Wilbert Jernigan, Sgt. Nathan Williams,

Mayor Saint T. Thomas, Jr. and Byron Heaird

Kuvaye Armistad, Gwen Jernigan, Alarian Armistad,

Aaiyaria Armistad and Kariser Armistad

Nickolas Jernigan, Joseph Jernigan, Wilbert Jernigan

and Jeffrey Jernigan

Wilbert Jernigan and Joseph Jernigan

Bullock County High School Class of 1969: Margaret and Henry Relf, Wilbert Jernigan,

Howard Davis, Nadine Ivy and Shirley Streeter

Attorney Nathan Dickson, Wilbert Jernigan, Attorney

Elizabeth Smithart and Judge Theresa Daniel

Springs elected officials and

employees.

Mr. Wilbert Jernigan has

been the Bullock County

Circuit Clerk for 18 years.

He ran against Durden Dean

and Curtis Elzie in 1994. He

ran unopposed the next two

terms.

Jeffrey Jernigan presented

his father with a card and

said, “I love him and he loves

me.”

The Carver High School

Class of 1969 presented fel-

low classmate Wilbert Jerni-

gan a thank you letter and

stated they are very proud

of him and thanked him for

serving the community.

Revenue Commissioner

Neara Reed said she will miss

Wilbert. He visited her office

every day from 8:15 a.m. un-

til 8:30 a.m. and then from

1:00 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. and

they would laugh and talk.

Mr. Jernigan worked 22

years at the Union Springs

Police Department and has

served 18 years as the Bull-

ock County Circuit Clerk.

Sidney Jernigan, Sr. said

his brother, Wilbert, has made

the citizens of Bullock Coun-

ty very proud. He has had

one of the best audit records

in the State of Alabama.

Sidney Jernigan, Sr. also

said he and Wilbert were

partners when they worked at

the Union Springs Police De-

partment. He said the judicial

system is all we have to make

things right.

Sidney Jernigan said, “Wil-

bert and I were working on a

burglary case that involved

Barry’s TV Service a number

of years ago while serving on

the police force.

Wilbert had a good infor-

mant and had a suspect but

the guy would not crack. Wil-

bert sat back, crossed his legs

and talked to him for about an

hour. The suspect still would

not admit to the burglary.

Wilbert told the suspect to

let him go downstairs and he

would bring back the proof.

He came back with a set of

fingerprints and threw them

on the table.

The suspect said, “Ok, I

will tell you where the rest of

the stuff is.”

He had tricked him and

locked him up. Sidney said

he was shocked because he

had dusted for fingerprints

and got nothing.

“I was good at dusting and

did not get any fingerprints.

I asked Wilbert where did

the fingerprints come from?

Wilbert said, ‘Those are your

fingerprints Sidney’.” There

was laughter all over the

courtroom.

Rev. Jimmy Bell, Pastor of

Union Hill Baptist Church,

and who is Wilbert Jernigan’s

pastor, presented a proclama-

tion from Gov. Robert Bent-

ley for his 40 years of pub-

lic service to the citizens of

Union Springs and Bullock

County.

Closing were remarks for

Wilbert Jernigan. He thanked

everybody for coming to his

retirement celebration.

First, he thanked his good

staff for working for him.

Second, he thanked the

courthouse family and lastly,

he thanked his family. He

thanked his wife, Margaret,

for typing up appeals and

handling the absentee elec-

tions for him.

He then thanked everyone

for their support over the 18

years he worked at the court-

house and the 22 years he

worked up the street at the

Union Springs Police Depart-

ment.

He ended his retirement

celebration with a short story.

Jernigan said, “I view my 40

years working as a baseball

game. I joined the Union

Springs Police Department

on January 15, 1974.

“It was like I got a hit and

a single to first base and I

stayed on first base for 22

years. I was then elected

Bullock County Circuit Clerk

and I had stole second base

and have been on second

base for 18 years.

“Then, Circuit Clerk-elect

Mrs. Rashawn Harris came

to the plate and hit a double.

Now, I AM GOING HOME!

I AM GOING HOME!

THANK GOD ALMIGHTY,

I’M GOING HOME!

Mr. Jernigan received a

standing ovation.

Attorney Nathan Dickson

JERNIGAN from Page 1 expressed to Mr. Jernigan,

“We can not do our job with-

out you doing yours. It has

been a real pleasure to work

with you. You are kind and

gracious and it has been a

real pleasant experience deal-

ing with the Circuit Clerk’s

office.”

Afterwards, a reception

sponsored by the Third Ju-

dicial Bar Association was

served. It was catered by Cab-

bages and Kings Events, a lo-

cal catering service owned by

Joe and Libby Hunt of Union

Springs.

Former Union Springs

Mayor Johnny McGowan

told the Herald he congratu-

lates Wilbert Jernigan for his

40 years of service to Union

Springs and Bullock County.

McGowan said, “Although

Wilbert is in retirement, I

feel he will continue to be

involved in all aspects that

involve the betterment of our

community.

“I am most appreciative

to his service on the Union

Springs Police Department

during my first term as mayor

from 1984 to 1988. His com-

mitment to law enforcement

is something that all of us

should be proud. I certainly

was. Enjoy your retirement,

Wilbert.”