Wildman’s Civil War Surplus has been a part of downtown Kennesaw since Dent “Wildman” Myers opened the shop in 1971. Over the years, the store drew national attention and local pushback for items and displays tied to the Confederacy and racist imagery, including a Ku Klux Klan robe on display.
When Myers died on January 16, 2022 at the age of 90, the store’s future soon became tied to a legal dispute over his trust and estate. Court papers described a conflict between Myers’ sister, Janice Bagwell, and Marjorie Lyon, who had reportedly been a store manager closely connected to the business.
As the case unfolded in Cobb Superior Court, court filings noted major friction over access and control of property and accounts. The dispute also pulled in a forensic review of finances, including scrutiny tied to a large stock sale, along with court orders requiring accounting details. At points during the litigation, the store was ordered closed while the dispute moved through court.
The settlement terms were released on February 3, 2026, filed in Cobb County Superior Court (Case No. 24GC08451) after a judicially hosted settlement conference and mediation on January 30, 2026 before Judge Robert E. Flournoy, III. The settlement lays out a clear roadmap for wrapping up the Myers trust fight that started nearly 4 years ago, with court filings that began on March 31, 2022.
Key points to the 2026 settlement include:
- Marjorie Lyon will sign a written declaration stating that Janice Bagwell is the sole beneficiary of the Dennis Alvah Myers Revocable Living Trust.
- Lyon will sign quitclaim deeds transferring any interest she has to the co-trustees Tom Cauthorn and Janice Bagwell for trust property located in Bartow, Paulding, Cobb (this includes Wildman’s), and Cherokee counties, plus Torrance County, New Mexico.
- The trust will pay invoiced fees for the court-appointed forensic accountant (Sherri Holder) and the court-appointed co-trustee (T.E. Cauthorn). After those payments, Bagwell will dismiss her complaint.
- Lyon will keep common stock in her possession and any proceeds from stock sales tied to holdings once jointly held with Myers or held in the trust, while any stock still titled in the trust stays in the trust.
- Lyon retains the Tennessee real property already titled in her name or her husband’s name.
- Both sides state no objection to terminating the trust and transferring the net trust assets to Bagwell, and no objection to the court entering an order terminating the trust in this case.
- Plaintiff and Defendant agree that the two ivory/pearl pistols that possession of the Decedent, Dennis A. Myers, during his lifetime are no longer at issue in this civil action. (This appears to be referring to the pistols he was known to wear daily, but it is unclear who is now in possession of them.)
- Both parties release claims against each other with prejudice arising from this litigation. (This is the final judgment, meaning the plaintiff is barred from refiling the same claim in any court.)
- Read the full settlement here
The settlement shifts the trust’s remaining assets to Bagwell and clears the way for the court to terminate the trust, which removes a major legal roadblock that has hovered over anything tied to Myers’ holdings. With that said, the settlement language does not announce a reopening, a sale, or a change in how the Wildman’s storefront will operate. It mainly settles control of assets and closes out claims.
In practical terms, the next chapter for the store now depends on decisions made by Dent’s sister Janice, who will end up controlling the Wildman’s property and business interests after the trust steps are completed. For downtown onlookers, that is the part that will soon answer the question everyone keeps asking about the future of the business and building.
