My Friend Gerry

So many of you have been following the story of my friend Gerry who went missing while hiking at the end of July. You've generously offered to share her story and pray for her. Some of you requested that I keep you up to date on the progress of the search. It is with a heavy heart that I share this letter from her loving husband George.


All,

The attached article provides all the stats and details on yesterday's final exhaustive search which did not find Gerry. The professional search and rescue folks are, in their words and like all of us, BAFFLED. They have done EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE......and beyond.

A much smaller scale search an investigation will be ongoing. 2:15 p.m. today will be two weeks since I last had contact from Gerry (a text). The last photo we have of her was from 7:15 a.m., also two weeks ago, from a fellow camper at a shelter. It is QUINTESSENTIAL GERRY, huge smile, backpack ready to go, couldn't wait to get on the trail for day 2 of a 3 day hike.

As for my FAMILY: --my daughter Kerry, her husband Ryan and I will fly to Nashville late tomorrow morning. Our son Ryan is already back in California. Gerry's sister Anita is heading back to Maryland today.

--if desired or helpful, my contact info: George D. Largay, c/o Bauchieros, 514 Dekemont Lane, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027. Email is glargay2010@gmail.com. I will be staying with my daughter, two grandkids and son in law Ryan Bauchiero for the foreseeable future.

As I came to this decision, I used as the litmus test "what would Gerry do?" That made it far easier. She would say "get on with life with those grand-babies." After 42 years of a marriage that comes as close to perfection or Heaven on Earth as possible, I am very comfortable knowing that is what she would want me to do.

At some point, we remain hopeful that they will find Gerry so that we can have closure on this tragedy. I do take comfort that she was where she wanted to be doing what she wanted to do with every fiber of her body.....a "bucket list" hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Thank you for your prayers, comfort and support in our/my time of GREATEST NEED. Please share this information with others as you deem appropriate.

George

Link to the news story: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/2013/08/04/no-new-clues-search-missing-hiker-search-scaled-ba/1403223#.Uf960ACYj4Q.email


Sharing Gerry's story could possibly lead to the discovery of new information, so please, if you think you might know anyone who has had contact with hikers along that section of the Appalachian Trail any time this summer, please pass along this information. For the sake of Gerry's family, any information would be helpful at this point.

Diane