CLIFF GEORGE: VETERAN MINISTER
MAGGIE GEORGE: SIX DECADES OF QUILTS

By Marshall McClung
Contributing Writer to the Graham Star
Copyright September 22, 1994

One of the most well known and most loved couples in Graham County is Cliff and Maggie George who live in the Bear Creek community south of Robbinsville.

Cliff was born near his present home in an area referred to locally as Tallulah Meadows. His parents were Will George and Bertha Raines George; Cliff is probably most well known for his many years of service as. a minister of the gospel. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Cliff began preaching around 1948. He had begun ministering and witnessing to sailors prior to that. During the next forty-some years Cliff preached or was pastor in many churches in Graham County, surrounding counties, and nearby states. Cliff says that he has either pastored, preached in, helped run a revival, conducted a funeral, or performed a marriage ceremony in almost every church in Graham County. He says that he has conducted so many funerals and performed so many marriage ceremonies that he has long ago lost count. Cliff says that many couples came to his home to be married.

Cliff has had serious health problems for the past few years, but still preaches some now and then. He became a familiar sight to many on his daily walks along Highway 129 between Bear Creek and Ledbetter Road.

Maggie has been married to Cliff ton sixty-four years. She was the former Maggie Mauck. Maggie says she got into her quilt making about the time she got married. She started out making all of her children a quilt and then she made each of her grandchildren quilts. She said she would see quilts in shops and arts and crafts displays with quite a price tag on them. She decided she could make quilts as good as those, not charge nearly as much and still make a profit.

Maggie has now made hundreds of quilts over the past sixty plus years. She has sold quilts to people in most of the states and some foreign countries including England and Australia. The only advertising of her quilts that she does is a small sign by the edge of the highway at her home. She gets several drop-ins. Some people have learned about her quilt making and sent orders through the mail.

Maggie said when her children were little, that she did a lot of her quilt work at night after the children were put to bed and the other household chores were done. Maggie said she used to complete a quilt in about a week. Now that her health is not as good and the fact that she doesn't quilt as often or for a long a period of time, it usually takes her about two weeks to complete a quilt.