I met Jewelene and Billy Gillenwater around 1982-1983 or so at a meeting I arranged for people who have disabilities and want to form a group to advocate for better access and services for people with disabilities.  Jewelene was quite and did not say much but when she did you knew she had something to say.  She and Billy and the other people who came out for that first meeting formed an advocates group and we called it Handicaps Unlimited of the Appalachian Highlands Area (HUAHA).  We grew to know each other and we chartered our organization and turned it into a non-profit organization.  We met in the resturant that is now the Harbor House Seafood resturant and some other places.  Often we would have a picnic in one of the parks in the area.  My load at work kept me so busy I let the group sort of guide itself as I had a lot of meetings that kept me from going to meetings.  In the mid 1980's the State of Virginia started looking to let a grant out for an Independent Livning Center in Southwest VA.  I had been trying to get our organization to apply for this grant.  However because I was not able to help write it I was going to supply the organization with some supporting data that they would need to submit it.  A small number of our group did apply and they formed the Board of Directors of the Appalachian Independence Center, Inc.  Jewelene was one of five persons who took on that job.  They submitted the grant and it was approved in 1988.  That began the Appalachian Independence Center, Inc.  Jewelene was a leader in our movement and she made a big difference when it came time to role up our sleeves and get to work.  AIC would not be here if there was not people like Jewelene and Billy Gillenwater.  In 2015 Greg Morrell, Executive Director passed away and I met Jewelene at the AIC annual dinner and asked her if she would like to serve on the board of directors again and she said she would.  She was a board member until she got too sick to work on our board.  Jewelene helped me everytime I talked to her even though she had bigger problems than I did.  Jewelene is missed and I and the Board of Directors at the Appalachian Independence Center will miss her.  God Bless you Jewelene.   David Barrett, Executuve Director, Appalachian Independence Center, Inc.