Cooperative Living January 2015 - 38

GOOD NEIGHBORS by Bill Sherrod, Editor
"
When There's a Need, Folks in Snell Call Jean
H
ere in the community of Snell,
Virginia, one person personifies
'good neighbor' - Jean Dickinson
Satterwhite. "
That's how Janet Roberts described
her friend and neighbor in a " Good
Neighbors " nomination email to
Cooperative Living magazine.
" Jean doesn't stop at recognizing a
person's need: she responds, " Janet
continued. " Our rural community is a
better place because of Jean. "
Put another way, Janet says (with
apologies to the film, Ghost Busters),
" When you've got a need, who you
gonna call? Jean Satterwhite! "
LIFELONG RESIDENT OF SNELL
Jean has lived in Snell, a tiny
Spotsylvania County crossroads
community, all of her life, save a
year when she lived in Richmond.
She is a lifelong member of
Traveler's Rest Baptist Church, which
her parents helped to build. The
church is named for a stagecoach
rest stop originally at the intersection
where the sanctuary is now located.
Over the years, Jean has remained
involved in the church in a variety of
ways, from serving as an officer to
volunteering as church clerk to filling in
during the church secretary's absence.
" Our secretary was out for health
reasons, and Jean just took up the slack,
without anyone knowing and without any
prompting. She just appears and does
what needs doing, " notes Gail Brimer,
president of the Women's Missionary
Union at the church and a friend of Jean's.
" When a person moves into the community,
Jean visits them, sort of a onewoman
welcoming committee, and invites
them to church, " adds Janet.
A retired employee of the city of
Fredericksburg, Jean and her husband,
David, have been married 43 years and
have eight children and 19 grandchildren.
David, a retired military veteran and
law-enforcement officer, enjoys spending
time on their land, " Confederate Knoll
Farm, " and helping in his wife's whirlwind
of civic involvement.
36
" Jean has always been a big proponent
of Micah, a non-profit organization that
provides food, clothing, and other necessities
for the homeless, " Janet notes, " and
she's also been a big supporter of the
Spotsylvania Emergency Community
Association. " The Food Bank of
Fredericksburg is another organization
that has benefitted from Jean's philanthropic
work.
" We'll call Jean and say that someone
in the community needs, say, a washer
and dryer, and she connects the dots, "
adds Gail.
Jean and David Satterwhite with friends Gail
Brimer (left) and Janet Roberts (right).
" Jean's a yard-saler. She helped start
the 208 Trail Sale (an extended yard sale
along almost 30 miles of Route 208).
We had our second year (of the 208
Trail Sale) in September, and our church
raised $2,500 for missions, " Gail continues.
" She shops for things to sell in
fundraisers all year. She loves to go to
auctions. She sees potential where others
don't. "
" Jean rallies around the older community
members. If she finds a way to
match a need to someone who'll fulfill
it, she does that, " says Janet.
" A lady in the community called
Jean and said she needed a car, " Gail
says. " Jean called all around until she
finally found one that the lady could
afford. "
" When she retired, she really didn't
retire, " Janet continues. " She always
makes herself available to help people
out, taking them to doctor's appointA
RETURN ON GOOD WILL
Jean good-naturedly acknowledges
that she does, indeed, find herself
involved in helping people with a variety
of needs in the community. " If people
can't find something, folks tell them
to call me, " she says with a grin.
She adds, " I do have a very helpful
- and understanding ― husband. "
Jean and David celebrated their 43rd
anniversary in early December.
Asked how she would describe
neighborliness, Jean says, " I think it's
just welcoming people to the neighborhood,
and being of assistance in
any way you can - helping others.
Whenever you see a need, you offer
help.
" I believe God put us here to help
others ... there's so much need. And
when we help one another, I know God
sends it back triple-fold. " 
Cooperative Living/January 2015
ments, providing meals, helping charitable
organizations to raise funds, collecting
and distributing donations for local
charities and missions, fulfilling a specific
need through her 'network.' And it's all
done with a warm heart for others. "
Janet and Gail recall when a couple
new to the community, Lyle and Soonja
Broadstone, bought land and moved into
the neighborhood. Lyle was in the Marine
Corps and Soonja was from a small village
in Korea. Jean and David Satterwhite
helped Lyle and Soonja transition into the
Spotsylvania County agricultural community.
Then, since Soonja had
never had a birthday party, Jean
threw a birthday bash for her in
the Satterwhite home, and invited
the whole community.
" Jean's just one of the friendliest
people you'll ever meet. She's
never met a stranger, and she's
always helping her neighbors, "
says Gail.
" She's an energetic person.
She tries not to let anything slow
her down from meeting a community
need, " Janet adds. " It really is a
fact. Around here, when there's a need,
people say, 'call Jean.' "
BILL SHERROD PHOTO
Cooperative Living January 2015

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