Small Town Famous – Kathy McClure

by Tracy McCoy

Things were a bit different back in the day. We all remember when life was simpler in these mountains. A young girl of fourteen or fifteen years old could drive on the backroads before she got her license without much fear. During these times, Kathy Hulsey would ride to her daddy’s gas station in the morning and when Mr. Husley got out she jumped in the driver’s seat of his bright yellow ‘61 Volkswagen bug and drove the “backside of the river” to Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School. When school was over, she scooted across the highway and back to the Dillard House where she worked as a waitress before returning to her father’s gas station where she jumped back in the passenger’s seat and rode back home. Her father Mr. Don Hulsey owned Don’s Service Station in Mountain City for many years where Kathy and her sister Sherry both worked. “It didn’t take me long to figure out that I didn’t want to pump gas and clean toilets, so I got a job working for Mr. John Dillard at the Dillard House,” Kathy told me when I visited with her recently for this article. I have known her for thirty plus years but have always known her as Kathy McClure, and I bet you do too.

After getting her license she went to work at the Winn Dixie grocery store in Clayton. This is where she met her husband Dennis McClure. Kathy worked there the remainder of her high school years. After Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School turned into a private school, Kathy moved to Rabun County High School where she graduated in 1978. She has so many good memories of her teenage years. Remembering that yellow ‘61 VW Bug, Kathy shared a story about being on the annual staff. She and Sherry were out selling ads for the High School Annual one day after school. She parked the car in front of Sheffield’s (ABC store today) and went inside. When she exited the store she was shocked to see that her daddy’s car had been stolen! It was gone! She then noticed that the car was sitting across the road against a pole with a sizable crinkle in the front bumper. “I could never remember to put the thing in park before jumping out of it. I called Daddy and he came and reached under the front, pulled that bumper back out and said, ‘Get on your way bigun’ and be more careful.’ I had a great dad!” Kathy was very active in extra-curricular activities in high school. This included serving as statistician for the boy’s basketball team, working part-time, and keeping her chores done, which explains her incredible work ethic.

After graduation, friend J.L. Roach called to say there was an opening with Stephens Federal Savings and Loan in Clayton. Bank manager Dale Williams met Kathy and hired her. The Clayton branch was then located on East Savannah Street. Kathy began as a teller and upon meeting the bank’s President, Mr.

Truman Blasingame, she found a lifelong mentor and dear friend. Kathy worked her way up in the bank and when they found a new office in the Covered Bridge Shopping Center in Clayton complete with a drive through window she was serving as Branch Manager. This is when I met Kathy McClure. My husband and I, newly married, were looking to buy our first home. He knew exactly who he wanted to work with because he had known Kathy for many years. She helped us buy our home and became a treasured friend.

Stephens Federal continued to grow, eventually moving to a newly built bank on the hill just past Walgreens in Clayton. Today this bank is known as Oconee Federal Savings & Loan. About that time, Kathy’s phone rang again and friend Jack Keener asked if she would come talk to him. Clayton’s United Community Bank branch was looking for a President and Kathy was on the top of their list. She accepted the position but for very different reasons than you might guess. The prestige of being the bank President was not the lure; it was their service culture, and impact on her ability to help her customers! Kathy has a servant’s heart and is so dedicated to meeting her clients where they are, assessing their needs so she can offer the best products or solutions for them. Sometimes that means reading between the lines and she finds is sometimes accomplished best face to face.

After serving as bank President for several years, the opportunity to return to a position as a Mortgage Loan Originator presented itself and Kathy felt called to return to what she does best. “I feel so blessed to serve this community. I feel that our lives have seasons and I’ve learned from and valued every season of my life. Truett Cathy said, ‘Learn to love your work and you’ll never have to work again.’. I believe that to be true and I love what I am doing. I have had the pleasure of meeting so many people and helping them make their dreams a reality. Many years ago, I had a young couple come in and I was able to lend them what they needed to buy their first home. I watched that young couple work three jobs to pay for the house they bought. A while back, I saw three little heads pass my window and come through my door followed by this young father. I asked, ‘to what do I owe this visit?’, and one of the children spoke up and said ‘Miss Kathy we are here to pay our house off.’ This daddy had brought his children in to make his final payment and made sure they understood the gravity of the event. They were so excited and proud to make that final payment.” Kathy shared, tearing up. “That’s what it’s all about!” she said.

Kathy spoke with me about the variety of products that United Community Bank offers those looking for a mortgage and says that was one of the things that enamored her with the company. The decades of experience that she brings to the table combined with a rock-solid financial institution is a recipe for success whether you are a first time homebuyer or you are a seasoned buyer. “Whether they are buying a $100,000 home or a $2,000,000 home, their business is precious to me and I will work hard to make it happen.” she said.

So what does Kathy McClure do in her free time? She loves to garden, cook, read a great book and spend time with her son, Matt, daughter-in-law, Ali and grand dog Bentley (a rescue beagle). Dennis and Kathy visit “the kids” as often as they can and always value their time together. She speaks of Ali as her daughter and is so proud of her and Matt. Dennis and Kathy are members of Clayton Baptist Church where Kathy has served in many capacities. She has also served on the board of F.A.I.T.H, Rabun County Chamber of Commerce, Forward Rabun, various HEMC committees and others in the community. Truman Blasingame instilled the value of bankers serving their local communities. “It’s a way of giving back and I am pleased to be able to do that,” Kathy stated. It’s been 40 years since she stepped behind the counter at Stephens Federal Savings & Loan and there are no plans to end her career, she is too good at it and simply loves her job!

You’ll find Kathy when you visit United Community Bank’s Habersham and Rabun locations or by reaching out to her at 706212-2462 or 706-490-2132.