Meet Margie Braff! Margie was born and raised in Minnesota and came to Hall County with high hopes of raising a well rounded family and finding success in the petroleum business with her husband Bob. After having her four kids attend school in the city school system, Margie grew a true love for Hall County and that home town feel.
“Gainesville has grown a lot over the years but somehow has kept the homey feel” Margie says.
Forty three and a half years later, Margie describes herself as a Southern soul despite her natural roots.
Margie has volunteered throughout the Hall County community for many years doing lots of different things but she mainly spends her volunteer time at the St. Michael’s Catholic Church. Margie is on the board at Center Point and is on the citizen review panel. Margie is also an honor graduate at Gainesville High School.
She enjoys spending her time when she’s not volunteering, playing bridge with her friends, spending time with her family and becoming a master at ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Jeopardy.’
“My mom is simply the best. Not only is she a great example of what a mom, a volunteer and friend should be but she also gives so much of herself to others and to our community. I’m humbled to have her as my mom and best friend.” says Margie’s daughter, Kathleen.
Abernathy Cochran intern Grace Brown recently spent time with Margie to find out more about her and her love of the Hall County community.
Question: What inspires you or led you to your current career?
Answer: “I always wanted to be a wife and a mother, I do have a bachelor in science degree in nursing and a minor in health education.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall county and what do you love there?
A: “I love Poor Richard’s, me and Bob use to eat there a lot when we would go out. I always loved their chicken and the prime rib was wonderful.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in hall county? Why?
A: “Abit Massey, I just think that he has done so many things for Hall County and he’s done them without any fanfare, he always recognizes people and is always friendly, kind and thoughtful towards others.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? Why?
A: “I love going to London, I have a daughter over there but I also love Scotland but the place I would love to go to right now is Ireland.”
Q: What is your favorite movie or the first movie you saw?
A: “The first movie I saw in a theater was ‘Bambi’ but my all time favorite movie though is ‘Magnificent Obsession.’”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “To try and be who you are and not someone else.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I want to go to Ireland with my family.”
Q: What is your favorite music/ three bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “I’ve already seen Louis Armstrong, Les Brown Band, I’m not really up to date with the latest music but I know I would love to see Zac Brown Band.”
Q: What current/ former local business makes you the most nostalgic about Hall County?
A: “Clipper Petroleum for sure, it was what brought us to Hall County since me and my husband were the owners of that business.”
Q: Choosing anyone alive and a non relative: with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? Where in hall county would you have lunch?
A: “The Pope, we could talk about our faith over a meal at Poor Richard’s.”
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about Hall County?
A: “I love the small town feeling of it, even though it has grown over the years since we’ve been here. It is a place I have lived most of my life. “
Q: (Even for friends and family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “A lot of people don’t know I was born and raised in Minnesota, sometimes people ask if I’m from this area but then they hear me talk and know I’m not, but I love the South and have been here longer than any place in my life.”
Q: What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word home?
A: “Faith, Family and Friends.”
The Faces of Hall County is a project to showcase the amazing people that live in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured please email babernathy@gonorton.com.
Interview by Abernathy Cochran intern Grace Brown