People & Places Writers’ Choice BEST PUBLIC SERVANT
Pearl Bransford Franklin resident Cornelia Holland remembers the simple things that Pearl Bransford would do for her neighbors, her community — for just about anyone who needed help or support. Holland became close friends with Bransford from the time the two first met in the early 1990s, and she would later chair Bransford’s first campaign for Franklin alderman at large in 200, along with a couple more re-election bids. Holland joined a wide range of people across Williamson County and beyond who were mourning the loss of Bransford, who died from cancer at the age of 67. Bransford was the very embodiment of public service, whether it was her 13 years serving on the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen, her career
as a nurse or her tireless involvement in education, historic preservation and racial equality issues, among others. “She loved Franklin and served it both publicly and privately, helping those who don’t have a voice,” Holland said, recalling the “behind-the-scenes” things Bransford would do in the community. “At Christmastime,” Holland pointed out, “she would go and pay off some water bills for people who were having difficulty. Or after the Heritage Ball (the annual fundraiser for the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County), she would get the leftover flowers and take them the next day to shutins in Franklin. “Or this spring, with COVID and such, she noticed that there were a number of graduating [high school] senior signs in a neighborhood. And she knocked on the doors and congratulated the seniors and gave them a little gift. She would hire a homeless man in her neighborhood to do a little job for her. She would pay him and he would have some dignity.”
Thank you to Williamson County residents for voting Mary Lee Bunch Associates #1 Tutoring Center.
7113 Peach Court Suite 111 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-377-6370
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