Henry Edward Braselton, 82: Former mayor of Braselton

Merrell Calhoun of Atlanta had known Mr. Braselton for nearly 50 years. Janice Martin Braselton, his wife of 48 years, sang at the Calhouns' wedding. The couples traveled together and socialized at each other's homes.

"Braselton was in his DNA," Mr. Calhoun said. "He loved Braselton and everything that is and was Braselton. One thing about him was that he was equally comfortable with heads of state on down to farmhands."

He was generous, too. He gave out candy everywhere he went. And he had a secret recipe for grilling ham. He always told people to "Come see us." Folks say he meant it.

Town Councilman Ralph Richardson Jr. remembered working in the Braselton Supermarket when he was a teen, and later, as an adult. It was nothing, he said, for Mr. Braselton to have him bag up groceries for a family in need.

"A lot of people benefited from the life of Henry," Mr. Richardson said. "He did a lot of things for people that he didn't want people to know about, as far as taking care of the less fortunate. His legacy will be the love he had for his family, his commitment to the town itself and the people of this area."

On Monday, Henry Edward Braselton of Braselton died from complications of a brain tumor at his home. He was 82. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the family cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church in Gainesville. Little-Davenport Funeral Home in Gainesville is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Braselton was the son of the late John Oliver Braselton, one of the town's founding fathers. He was a lifelong member of Zion Baptist Church, where he served as Sunday school superintendent and as president of the Mulberry Youth Organization.

Mr. Braselton served in the Georgia Home Guard and the U.S. Navy. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia.

Aside from Braselton, he served on the board of the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Commission and the district board of Northeast Georgia Soil and Water Conservation. He was a charter member of the West Jackson Lions Club, where he also had been president.

In a statement, Braselton Mayor Pat Graham called her predecessor the consummate mayor who cherished small-town America. She credited him for the recruitment of  several businesses, among them Chateau Elan, Sears Logistics and Mayfield Dairy.

"He served with high distinction as mayor of Braselton for ... years, carrying forth the honored tradition of his ancestors," she wrote. "His love for the historic traditions of the town will be long remembered."

Additional survivors include three daughters, Susan Collier Braselton Fant of Washington, D.C., Anne Elisabeth Braselton Miller of Suwanee and Stephanie Rowland Braselton Williams of Braselton; and five grandchildren.