Gordon's heart is so big. Gordon helped me claim and hold onto my family name! I hope he doesn't mind me telling this now.

Gordon has a unique love and understanding of family and the family name. Some people think a person's name is just what they are given at birth, but it's so much more. I was raised in a single parent household by my mom Myrna West, with help from her mom Ola West and her brother Lyndon West.

Each of them taught me important things in my life.

When I almost lost Lyndon in a car wreck, I decided to go ahead with what I had talked about my whole life and change my last name from Stephens to West.

I always felt my name should give credit where credit was due.

I was proud to say I was a part of the West family.

I had worked for Gordon in 1996, at the lowest time in my life and knew I could count on him to understand. I went to Gordon and asked for a part time job to get the money up for my name change. He wasn't hiring at that time. He reached into his wallet and gave me the money I needed, and allowed me to come in from time to time and work to pay him back.

Even when I got married - I couldn't give up the last name West, but was happy to add Bearden to it.

Krista Lyn West-Bearden
Dawsonville