Margaret Shirley Hughes Staples

Margaret “Peggy” Hughes Staples, age 92, of Cornelia, passed away on Thursday, October 30, 2025.

Margaret Shirley Hughes was born in Cordele, Georgia on November 10th, 1932. She grew up on the family farm with her six brothers and sisters, and lived in Cordele until her high school graduation. So how did this petite farm girl from below the gnat line form a lifelong association out of the hills of Habersham down the valleys of Hall? Well…

In the middle of the last century, the North Georgia Technical School was also famous for its semi-pro baseball team. In pursuit of that goal, they hired a hard-throwing, Pennsylvania Dutchman as a “janitor.” Fortunately for the school, when an administrator needed a secretary, the janitor knew just the bright young lady who could type 125 error-free words per minute: his sister-in-law, Margaret Hughes! She headed north, and ultimately married Clarkesville boy Jimmy Staples. And when he discharged from the Navy, they set about forming connections in and around the trade school – particularly The Olivers.

Every so often, someone (usually Bob) would suggest, “Let’s go to Clarence’s and have a drink.” Jimmy would find supplies…somewhere, and a small but significant portion of Habersham’s young adult population would pile in a car and head to Cordele.

Margaret and Jimmy moved to Gainesville, where she was a secretary and recorded advertisements at WGGA radio station. They started a family. When a doctor told her that she should put her daughter, Katrina, in a home because she wouldn’t survive 10 months, she didn’t say much. She just cared for and nurtured her, and stayed her constant friend and companion for the remainder of Katrina’s 68 years. When Katrina started school, Margaret started working as a secretary at Enotah Elementary. She spent the rest of her career in education at Enotah, Lakeview Academy, and Johnson High School. Thousands of students learned from her bright and professional demeanor. At Johnson, hundreds of office aides earned a firm foundation for their working careers.

Margaret, known to many as Peggy because Jimmy’s dad thought there were too many Margarets in the family, had a lifelong love of reading, learning, puzzles, and animals.

Margaret was preceded in death by her much loved husband of 66 years, James (Jimmy) Edward Staples Sr.; her amazing daughter; Katrina Marie Staples; parents Clarence and Hazel Hughes; sister Eugenia Thompson; sister Anne Jobe and brother-in-law Lewis Jobe; brother Clarence Hughes; sister-in-law Margaret Ricketson; brother-in-law Howard Staples and sister-in-law Eunice Staples. She is survived by her son, James Edward [Eddie] Staples Jr. (Kimberly) of Buford; her adored granddaughter MacKenzie Wells Staples of Nashville, TN; sister Frances Crow (John) of Rincon, GA; brother James Hughes (Lillian), of Thomasville, GA; brother William Hughes (Georgianne) of Murphy, NC; brother-in-law Robert Staples (Margaret) of Miami, FL; brother-in-law John Staples of Catawissa, MO; special nieces Angela Bucy (Ricky), Rebecca Smith (Buddy) in Bowman, GA, Robin Zeidler (Gerald) in Miami, FL; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews.

Funeral Services will be held at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel with Rev. Phil DeMore and Rev. Dr. Randy Kanipe officiating. Interment will follow in Clarkesville City Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm pm on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at the funeral home and from 2:00 pm-2:45 pm on Wednesday prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cornelia Public Library (301 North Main Street, Cornelia, GA 30531 – www.cornelialibrary.org) and the Habersham County Animal Shelter (4231 B Toccoa Hwy, Clarkesville, GA 30523 – www.habershamga.com).

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.