Meet Elizabeth Chapelle! I finally did.
For years, I’ve been meeting people around the square in Gainesville—some while interviewing them for The Faces of Hall County, others through my real estate business, and many simply by being part of this community. Along the way, I’ve spent countless mornings in the places our community gathers—Meadowlark, Avocados, Inman Perk, and Midland Station, a place I still miss very much.
And for years, I kept running into Elizabeth. She was usually dressed up, often wearing one of her assortment of hats, always with a smile on her face and a kind greeting for me—and for many of the people who passed by her.
We would talk. We would laugh. And then we would go on about our day. But I never interviewed her. Until now.
Elizabeth told me during our conversation that the best things about Gainesville are “the things you cannot put on a spreadsheet”—kindness, friendliness, goodness, and the people who make this community feel like home. I think Elizabeth is one of those people. She is a Face of our community and someone I hope you get the chance to meet.
Q: What do you love most about our community?
The people. I realized very quickly that the people here are really good. Gainesville is generous, open, and has deep connections. You don’t talk badly about somebody here because you might be talking to their second cousin! I like Gainesville better than my hometown of Augusta because Augusta is bigger and doesn’t have the cohesion I see here. How do you calculate kindness, friendliness, and goodness? Those are the things that make this place special.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and how you ended up in Gainesville.
I was born and raised in Augusta. My parents met there because of the Savannah River Plant, which opened in the early 1950s. My father came down from Virginia, and my mother was teaching school in North Georgia at the time. My father died when I was young, and my Uncle Cha-Cha became the closest thing I had to a father. He was a World War II veteran and a very important person in my life.
I eventually came to Gainesville because of my interest in theater. I wanted to do theater in Atlanta and tried out for the Academy Theatre. My path eventually brought me to Gainesville and Brenau University, where I have worked since 2005.
Q: What is something people may not know about you?
I’m a former English teacher, I have a background in theater, and I love to write. I wrote a book called Make Something Good Happen. I’m not impressed by writing simply because there’s a lot of it. The Gettysburg Address is one of the greatest pieces of writing ever written, and it’s only 14 sentences. Lincoln packed so much meaning into those sentences. I enjoy condensing things and cutting unnecessary words. I also believe you need to let something you’ve written rest for a couple of days because you can’t always see it clearly right after you write it.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
I don’t eat out that much because I enjoy cooking, but I still like Avocados. I also enjoy trying different kinds of food and would like to try the Indian restaurant.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love talking to people. I’m social. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t, but I am! I also enjoy cooking, gardening, reading, movies, history, and traveling. I don’t own a television. I think people have to fight to keep their ability to read because screen time can kill reading. Several years ago, I started reading A Special Relationship by Douglas Kennedy. I gave it about 20 pages and closed it. Then I realized that reading is like watering a plant. You have to give a book time to develop a root system. So I started over and gave it 50 pages. It became a page-turner. I stayed up until two in the morning reading it and eventually read every one of Douglas Kennedy’s books. That experience taught me not to give up on books too quickly.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
I’m more interested in having a reason to go somewhere and the people I’ll meet than simply choosing a destination. I like Civil War history, and one of my favorite trips included visiting Gettysburg and Antietam and seeing family throughout Pennsylvania and Virginia. I also love the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I’d enjoy seeing beautiful, wild places like the beaches of Thailand and other exotic destinations. But I’m almost always going to ask, “What kind of people are going to be there?” I’m interested in people.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone alive today who is not a relative, who would you choose, and where would you take them?
I think I would enjoy meeting the governor of Florida. I admire people who have the strength to stand firmly behind what they believe, even when it is hard for them to do. I would take him to Avocados.
Q: What is your favorite month of the year?
October and May. I like nice weather!
Q: What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving.
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
My grandmother’s garden in Louisa, Virginia. She had a huge garden with paths running through it. I remember being a child in that garden. It was beautiful.
Q: What three words mean “home” to you?
“The game’s on.” I grew up in Augusta, Georgia, home of the Masters. Three of my uncles got Masters tickets in the 1950s, back when you could get them. My mother was a huge sports fan, so I was hushed a lot growing up. “Shh! He’s about to putt.” We were always watching a game. Sports also meant good food because my mother would cook when people came over. My mother’s family were outgoing people. We had family reunions, cooked hush puppies and fried fish, and enjoyed being together. There’s a Southern expression: “They’re good people.” I grew up in a family of good people, and I’m grateful for that. You worked. You showed up. You did your job. You knew right from wrong. Growing up around people like that has an impact on you.
Q: If a movie were made about your life, who would you want to play you?
I’d want an actress who could completely transform herself. Cate Blanchett has that quality. She’s a chameleon. She can disappear into a role. If I see someone in a movie and don’t recognize them because they have truly disappeared into the character, that impresses me. I don’t know if Cate Blanchett would be the one to play me, but I would want someone with that ability.
Q: What is something you believe strongly about life and community?
I believe in interacting with people. I’m a talker, and I feel a little sorry for my tribe of talkers these days because so many people are on their phones. Sometimes people use their phones so they don’t have to engage with anyone. I think interacting with people is important. I like meeting people who say unexpected things. And I believe that if you say you’re going to do something, you should do it. If you’re not going to do it, keep your mouth shut. I’ve really tried to live that way.
If you know someone great that you would like to nominate to be a FACE of Hall County, click here: https://abernathycochran.com/nominate/
