Murphy Gloria Hillery loves Cherokee County. In the 50 years she has lived here, she recalls many changes that have taken place.
Hillery was born in 1941 in New York City. She graduated high school in New Jersey and attended college in Florida, receiving a degree as a paralegal. Her jobs have consisted of paralegal work, insurance sales as well as advertising sales.
In 1973, Hillery purchased her home in Cherokee County. When asked what she likes the most about living here, she immediately said, “The people.
“When I first moved here, there weren’t a lot of people from outside the area. When I got out on the road, if I saw two cars in either direction I was lucky. The people that live here, and their grandparents, are precious to me and still are. They’re what made Cherokee County what it is. They’re just wonderful people and it was a wonderful place when I first moved here.
“They lived off the land, and some had never been outside of this area. There was no TV or Internet, and there was no Walmart or big stores here. Back then, there were more mom and pop stores, but the bigger stores put them outta business.”
When Hillery first moved to the county, jobs were scarce, so folks had to be creative in order to bring in a paycheck.
“I was the first female car sales person in the county,” she said with a smile. At the time, she worked with Calloway Ford, which is known today as King Ford.
If you’ve ever been to the outdoor flea market on the hill along U.S. 64 West, you’ve probably seen Hillery. For the last 40 years, she has sold items at the market. She enjoys those who stop by and share their stories from the past.
“Their stories are better than watching TV,” she said, calling the longstanding folks who have lived here for years the backbone of Cherokee County.
Hillery is friendly and outgoing. When asked where she sees herself several years from now, she said, “I don’t have a bucket list because I’ve done so much and I’m not a chance-taker, but many years ago I did ride on the back of a motorcycle down to Key West.”
Hillery is right where she wants to be, and that’s here in Cherokee County, even though much has changed.
“Even people who come here now, they see how the people who’ve lived here are and they want to become more like that,” she said. “Cherokee County is just a great place to live.”
She enjoys using acrylics to paint her folk art. She also enjoys writing. The mother of three and grandmother of four likes listening to country music and spending weekends on “the hill” at the flea market.
Hillery genuinely enjoys the area. “Once you live here,” she said, “you can’t live anywhere else.”