Margaret Burgess Carter (97) of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, died at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama on August 26, 2024.

She was born in Atlanta in 1927 to Fred and Sarah Burgess. She attended Commercial High School to learn secretarial skills although she initially wanted to study nursing. Margaret found that she loved secretarial work, and even though her father told her he would pay for nursing school, she declined. In Atlanta she worked at Westinghouse and Georgia Power before moving to Birmingham, Alabama where she began her career with Southern Company Services. She was instrumental in running the engineering department for all 30 years of her employment there. She dearly loved the engineers at Southern Company, and she was affectionately called “Sarge” for her fair but matter-of-fact manner of running the office.

Margaret enjoyed a long marriage with the love of her life, John Youmans Carter. They met in high school and were inseparable ever after. They married at Jackson Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta. Later in their marriage, Margaret ran the office of the wallcovering business they had purchased. They enjoyed travelling and took several wonderful trips to China, Australia and Hawaii. Their fiftieth wedding anniversary party and cruise were particularly spectacular. They had two daughters: Linda Diane Carter who lived only 24 hours and Karen Lea Carter, a prominent pediatrician in Augusta, Georgia.

Her friends and extended family were critically important to her and she had numerous long term friendships. She never declined an offer to be with friends and extended family. For many years she and Johnny went to the house they built on Lay Lake every weekend. Her favorite activity was a large and delicious fish fry, with all the lake friends begging her to make her 5 star onion rings that were eaten as fast as she could fry them up. Her neighbors and close family members were essential to her. She loved to go to dinner or a “luncheon” with them. Going to the farm outside of Montgomery with her extended family was a huge favorite, especially watching the children go for a hayride. She lived for these relationships.

She was eager to have company any time of the day, and anyone who visited can attest to the warm welcome she gave them. “Get in this house” was always said with a smile. She was a good hostess and enjoyed card games and burger nights with good friends. She loved the give and take of playful banter and had a streak of mischief in her, which occasionally came out when telemarketers called. She always offered children who visited a cookie (if mama or grandma allowed) or a piece of candy. And oh how she loved the babies and children, especially Walker and Lauren Smith. She absolutely doted on them often attending their performances and sporting events as they got older. She was “Bena” to them, their Birmingham Nana. Margaret was so good with little ones too. She could rock them and sing to them and they would be soothed and feel safe. One particular neighbor often brought her grandchildren over to visit, and she would just beam when she got to hold them when they were babies.

Margaret was a woman of faith: an active member of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church for over 65 years. She read her Bible daily and trusted in God. Even when she could not physically attend services, she recorded the service and watched it each week. She got a hymnal and sang along each Sunday. She loved to sing and was a desired soloist for weddings when she was younger.

She was a skilled seamstress who sewed avidly. She made most of her clothes and loved to help make projects for friends. She also taught some family members how to sew. She was never happier than when she was in the basement with the garage doors open sewing her heart away, all the while observing the neighborhood activities.

She was preceded in death by her father, Fred Durrell Burgess, her mother Sarah Virginia Burgess, her brothers Fred Durrell, Jr., “Freddie,” Charles William and wife Pat, and Joel Keifer and wife Judy. She is survived by her daughter Karen Lea Carter.

The Celebration of Life will be Saturday, August 31, 2024 from 12 – 2:00 PM at Ridout’s Valley Capel in Homewood, Alabama. The graveside service will be Tuesday, September 3, at 2:00 PM At Westview Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia

In lieu of flowers please consider contributing to Big Oak Ranch, 250 Jake Mintz Road, Gadsden, AL 35905

Click here to link to her obituary.