Page 17 - Wayne County

integration, and in 1979 became its General Manager and Vice President. Along the way he held numerous civic positions, including Chairman of the Board of Education, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Industrial Development Authority, and President of Kiwanis. After earlier entering the local political arena, he eventually ran for Mayor of Jesup, with Margie as his campaign secretary, and won. He jokingly says that Margie even voted for him – “the frst time!” Margie retorts that she voted for him “most of the time,” but toward the end of his political career, she was “ready for it to stop,” so she “quit voting for him.” When the children were small, Margie discovered her love of painting. She studied with Bill Hendrix, an area artist and teacher who saw promise in her work and became her mentor. Over the years she has proven to be a prolifc artist whose works are displayed in numerous venues: in her home and the homes of her children, in the public library, in the Wayne County Visitors Center, in the courthouse, and in many local and area residences. She is a member of the Savannah Art Association and has held “one-man” shows in Dublin, St. Simons, and Jesup. Her paintings have been purchased by collectors, including United States Representative Bill

Stuckey. Commissioned to paint the portrait of “Mad” Anthony Wayne for the Wayne County Courthouse during its remodeling, she chose, upon its completion, to negate the commission and donate the painting. Other agencies and causes have beneftted from her generosity and talent as well: in her early years in Jesup, the “Jollies,” and more recently, the Boys and Girls Club and the Wayne County Band. One of her prized achievements is a 4’ X 16’ “oil on plywood” of The Last Supper after the works of Leonardo da Vinci which

is displayed each Lenten season in her church and was the subject of an article in The Advocate . As an artist, Margie is a true colorist. She loves color and sees life in even the inanimate objects. She has flled the Bland home with an eclectic collection of not only her own art, but also that of other local and area artists and even several European masters.

Jim has always encouraged his wife’s art and has joined her in an aesthetic venture of his own: He collects art glass. His sister Beth, who belonged

When asked about hunting and fshing, Jim says he “enjoys all aspects of the great outdoors: hunting and fshing, of course, but much more than that. I fnd tranquility, peace, and a nearness to God that I fnd in no other place.”