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          Parade Marshal Allen Hickman leading the parade (P.E. Marshall photo)

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              Pastor Dennis Nicely set to celebrate his 90th birthday on Saturday, March 4

              M. Ray AllenbyM. Ray Allen
              in Local News
              March 3, 2023
              Reading Time: 7 mins read
              0
              Pastor Dennis Nicely of the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Covington and Peggy, his wife who is the church’ s pianist, have extended an invitation to their church family, relatives  and friends to attend the celebration of Dennis’ 90th birthday at the Lonestar Advent Christian Church’s Fellowship Hall on Nicelytown Rd. at noon on Sat., March 4th. (Photo by M. Ray Allen)

              Pastor Dennis Nicely of the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Covington and Peggy, his wife who is the church’ s pianist, have extended an invitation to their church family, relatives  and friends to attend the celebration of Dennis’ 90th birthday at the Lonestar Advent Christian Church’s Fellowship Hall on Nicelytown Rd. at noon on Sat., March 4th. (Photo by M. Ray Allen)

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              Dennis Nicely, pastor of the Gospel Light Baptist Church
              in Covington, plans to celebrate his 90th birthday at the
              Lone Star Fellowship Hall at 4704 Nicelytown Rd., Clifton
              Forge at noon on Sat., March 4.
              Nicely, one of Shadrack and Susie Nicely’s 12 children,
              was born during the Great Depression on March 5, 1933,
              and he and his wife, Peggy Moore Nicely, are welcoming
              their friends to join family members to Dennis’ birthday
              celebration.
              He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950, and during basic
              training in San Antonio, Texas, Dennis was one of 70,000
              at the base who were living in tents during the midst of
              the Korean War.
              He remembered, “I developed stomach ulcers and had
              surgery that led to an honorable discharge in 1952.”
              Dennis returned to Clifton Forge where his father was
              working as a machinist for the C&O Railroad, and he
              found employment at the Shell Service Station across the

              street from the Clifton Forge Courthouse, currently
              Clifton Forge Town Hall.
              Eventually, Dennis found work at the Sinclair Service
              Station in Clifton Forge, a business that he eventually
              purchased.
              He said, “I was in business for myself for 54 years.”
              Dennis had become a born again Christian at 18 while
              attending revival meeting in Danville, Va., and he became
              a member of the Sharon Baptist Church.
              As the owner of the Sinclair Service Station on the west
              end of Clifton Forge, Dennis found success, and the
              president of Sinclair Oil Company, invited him to New
              York City after Dennis’ business topped the nation in
              sales.
              Sinclair Oil Corporation is one of the oldest energy
              companies in the U.S., having been formed by Harry F.
              Sinclair on May 1, 1916. In 2022, Sinclair Oil merged with
              Holly Frontier Corporation to become H.F. Sinclair,
              trading on (NYSE) as DINO.
              Dennis’ success as a businessman enabled him to
              purchase two more service stations in Clifton Forge, an

              Amoco service station and the Exxon service station on
              Main Street.
              Rather than operate two service stations side by side,
              Dennis converted the Amoco property into a car wash,
              one that Anthony and Brad Nicely, his grandsons,
              operate today along with the remaining service station
              on Main St.
              Dennis, a vocalist, formed the Emmanuel Quartet, a
              southern gospel music group that performed in the
              Alleghany Highlands and beyond for 30 years. The
              original group featured Dennis and his three sons,
              Dennis, Jr., the eldest who was better known as “Rusty;”
              Marion and William.
              Dennis is the last surviving charter member of Emmanuel
              Baptist Church in Clifton Forge, and his son, William;
              attended the church’s Christian school.
              Dennis noted, “Everett McCulley was the pastor, and
              after my salvation, I helped organize the Emanuel Baptist
              Church.”
              After Pastor McCulley left, Lloyd Camp became the
              pastor, and Dennis served as Sunday school
              superintendent and music director for 21 years.

              He was also a “Bible” Camp counselor at the Greenbrier
              Valley Youth Camp in Anthony, W. Va. for 25 years.
              Having served as pastor of the Gospel Light Baptist
              Church since 2009, Dennis remarked, “I served as a lay
              pastor at the Gospel Light Baptist Church before
              becoming the church’s pastor.”
              Dennis and Peggy Moore were married on May 26, 2007,
              following the passing of their spouses, both devout
              Christians. They met at the Lexington Baptist Church
              where Dennis was involved in the music ministry and
              Peggy was the pianist.
              As a member of the Gideons International for 50 years,
              Dennis served in both Alleghany Co. and Rockbridge Co.
              He also ministered to residents of Scott Hill Retirement
              Community in Clifton Forge for 30 years.
              Additionally, Dennis served as a volunteer with the
              Clifton Forge Rescue Squad for 34 years.
              As for his ministry, he said, “Part of my ministry has been
              helping people.”
              For example, Dennis and a Virginia state trooper
              provided financial assistance to a needy man in Clifton
              Forge by paying for his lunch or dinner daily for 12 years.

              Additionally, they provided him with funds to have his
              teeth pulled. They offered to pay the dentist to make
              false teeth for the man, but the man they were helping
              declined the offer.
              Dennis observed, “Now I have a grandson, Marion’s son,
              Anthony, who is a Virginia state trooper.”
              Especially during times when the nation was fighting
              wars, Dennis would assist people who ran out of gasoline
              and had no money to pay.
              He revealed, “There were people who ran out of gas and
              had no money to buy gas to get home, and I’d fill their
              tanks to help them.”
              Since 2006, Dennis has preached at the Durham Rescue
              Mission in Durham, N.C. once each year as part of his
              ministry.
              Having grown up on a farm in eastern Alleghany Co.
              beside Longdale Furnace Rd., Dennis has fond memories
              of life on the self-sufficient farm where he and his 11
              brothers and sisters were nurtured by Susie, a devout
              Christian and stay-at-home mom.
              She was honored by Appalfolks of America Assoc. by
              being selected as the first “Mountain Momma” of the

              first Mountain Heritage Festival held at Dabney S.
              Lancaster Community College in 1989. The college was
              renamed Mountain Gateway Community College in July
              of 2022.
              Dennis, who performed with Emmanuel Quartet at the
              Southern Gospel Revue at the Historic Stonewall Theatre
              owned by Appalfolks of America Assoc. from 1991-2003,
              served on the Appalfolks Board of Directors as did his
              brother Carl’s wife, Nancy.
              Both played significant roles in helping Appalfolks restore
              the theatre following the devastating flood of 1985 that
              left a muddy-three-foot-high waterline on the walls of
              the theatre’s bottom floor.
              Dennis has three living sisters, Joann, Margaret and
              Hazel. Two of his sisters, Ethel and Evelyn, are deceased.
              As for his brothers, all six have passed away: Carl,
              Marion, Richard, Shadrack, Arnold and Nolan, Sr.
              Peggy observed, “At 90, Dennis is still preaching
              faithfully.”
              She concluded, “We are enjoying life like we were still
              teenagers.”

              As for the car wash and the Exxon station on Main St. in
              Clifton Forge, both remain in the Nicely family although
              the gasoline tanks have been removed and the name of
              Nicely’s Exxon has been changed to Nicely’s Kwik Lube.
              Dennis stated, “Over the years in Alleghany Co., I have
              met hundreds of good people in doing the Lord’s work.”
              “I plan to continue to serve the Lord until he takes me
              home to be with Him,” Dennis concluded.
              Peggy serves as the pianist at the Gospel Light Baptist
              Church, and the couple live on Nicelytown Road in
              Alleghany County.

              M. Ray Allen
              M. Ray Allen
              M. Ray Allen

              M. Ray Allen

              Tags: Alleghany CountyClifton ForgeCommunityCommunity collegeCounselCountyFeaturedForgeGateway Community CollegeKorean WarMain StreetMeetingMusicSchoolSinclair Oil CorporationTheatreTown hallVirginiaWarYouth

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