Jesse Gerald Atcheson, 70: Happy-go-lucky free spirit

By Rick Badie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jesse Atcheson didn't take life, or himself, too seriously.

Through the years, this jack-of-all-trades dabbled as a mechanic, jewelry maker, whatever. He worked briefly building props for local TV stations, and spent a little time as an exterminator.

Nothing stuck, said Jeannine Merrill Atcheson, his wife of 41 years. And that was fine with her.

"The past 20 years he never hit a lick at a snake," she said, lightheartedly. "I should have gotten him on disability the past several years. I was the moneymaker. We were complete opposites. It was always a lot of give-and-take. He was happy-go-lucky. Didn't worry about anything."

Not even his health.

He'd smoked like a fiend, a habit he acquired in the 1970s as a teen hanging out at drag strips in Dallas and Cumming and around speed shops. Chris King, a nephew who lives in Buford, often tagged along.

"It was a big deal," Mr. King said. "I used to ride around with him to speed shops and to hang out with the guys. That was years and years ago."

In late adulthood, Mr. Atcheson developed lung cancer and emphysema. When the doctor told him to quit drinking, he obliged. Smoking, though, was another matter. He did quit once -- for two weeks.

"Not long after that, he started back," his wife said. "A few days before he died he lit a cigarette, but he put it out. I was just watching a program on TV on how addictive nicotine is. It's terrible."

Saturday, Jesse Gerald Atcheson, of Dallas, died from complications of emphysema and lung cancer at WellStar Kennestone Hospital. He was 70. The funeral will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Northside Chapel Funeral Directors and Crematory in Roswell, which is handling arrangements.

An Atlanta native, Mr. Atcheson graduated from Roswell High School. He didn't attend college, but worked a few jobs here and there. He was a gentle free spirit, a tinkerer, camper, dog lover, handyman and artist, who made unisex jewelry out of copper that he gave as gifts.

"He made jewelry for maybe 10 years," his wife said. "I've got several pieces. Real pretty. He kept saying he was going to sell it at a flea market or something, or show it on consignment, but he never did."

Mr. Atcheson had a 1964 Ford Falcon that he had been trying to restore. Mr. King, his nephew, will probably be the one who completes the decades-long project.

"It won't be anytime soon because times are tight, but my son is really interested in it," Mr. King said. "[Gerald's] had that car since I was a kid, and I'm 51 years old. He was in to old Fords, the early Fords from the 1960s."

One last thing about Mr. Atcheson: He resembled Willie Nelson. Country music fans often approached him to surmise if he was the real deal.

"We went to a concert one time to see Willie," his wife said, "and somebody was trying to get him back to see him, but it didn't happen. People always thought he was Willie."

Survivors other than his wife include his mother, Lilliebelle Atcheson of Suwanee; two daughters, Janet Cartland-Cook and Bonnie Darlene Atcheson, both of Dallas; a sister, Jeannie King of Suwanee; and three grandchildren.