Brothers Co., but we’re still doing business with that company today.”
Kathy was four years old when her family moved from Denver to Vidalia. During those
early years, she said, “Of course, I was expected to work in the store after school and during
the summer. It was our family business. But I had no interest in it.” When she was older,
Kathy’s father pulled her aside and explained that as his only child, she would one day inherit
the family business. But her dream was to become a teacher and so she followed her own
path.
On November 6, 1976, Kathy married Earl Butler. Both had education degrees and began
28 Toombs County Magazine
their careers as teachers. Earl’s teaching career
was short-lived. Earl had only just begun his
career as a teacher at Vidalia High School when
Kathy’s father made him an offer: If his daughter
didn’t want to learn the business, perhaps he could
teach his new son-in-law and still keep it in the
family. And that one year of teaching was enough
to make the jewelry and watch repair business
sound too good to pass up.
In June 1977, Earl’s education began with watch
repair. “Mr. Alby gave me a screwdriver, tweezers,
and an old pocket watch. I would take one screw
out, put that screw back, take it out, put it back
again. I did that for about a week to get used to the
feel of the tools and small parts. The next week I
took out two screws. About a month later, I could
take out the whole plate and the wheels, and I
could sometimes even reassemble it. Sometimes it
would even run again.” He smiled.
By 1977, Gay Jewelers had moved to what is
now the B B & T Bank shopping center. In the
years that followed, Earl continued to learn from
Mr. Alby and also took classes from Holland
School for Jewelers, courses from the Gemological
Institute of America (GIA), as well as other classes
Hometown Living At Its Best 91
ABOVE Mark Butler, Earl
Butler, Kathy Butler and
Isaiah Gibson.
BELOW Once the diamonds
are cut and polished, they
are available for purchase
and can be set into
mounts.