Margaret Carter

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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.

July 8, 2024 Meeting at the Colonnade features new SNC CEO Pete Sena

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Many of you already know that SNC has announced that Stephen Kuczynski, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Southern Nuclear, is retiring effective June 28, 2024 and Peter (Pete) P. Sena, President of Southern Nuclear, was elected by the Southern Nuclear Board of Directors to succeed Stephen as Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Southern Nuclear effective June 28, 2024.

Pete Sena will be joining us at our July 8, 2024 retiree meeting as our speaker. For Pete to take time out of his busy schedule so soon after being elected to succeed Stephen to meet with us tells us how important he considers the retirees to be to Southern Nuclear. He will be sharing information about Southern Nuclear, including Vogtle 3&4, and answering questions. We believe you will agree this will be a very informative meeting and give us an opportunity to hear directly from Pete as he begins his new position at Southern Nuclear.

This meeting will be at the Southern Company – Energy Center Auditorium at the Colonnade and will begin at 1:00 p.m. on July 8, 2024. This should be a more convenient location than the Alabama Power Building downtown Birmingham.

We hope you will make plans to attend this meeting to meet Pete and hear what he has to share with us.

Date: July 8, 2024

Location: Colonnade Energy Center Auditorium
3535 Colonnade Parkway
Birmingham, Alabama

Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12 Noon – Board Meeting
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Meeting
2:00 p.m. – Door Prizes and Adjourn

Speaker: Pete Sena – Chairman of the Board, President
and CEO of Southern Nuclear

Reese Ponder

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Reese Leon Ponder Jr, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully at the age of 82 on Wednesday, June 26th.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1941, Reese dedicated much of his life to service and community. He began his career at Hayes Aircraft and later transitioned to the Southern Company, where he remained dedicated until his retirement at the age of 75 after 41 years of service!

Reese was a devoted sports enthusiast, with an unwavering passion for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He spent countless hours cheering on his favorite team and imparting his love for sports to his grandchildren Ben, Mia, Abbie, Sam, and Evan, whom he took great joy in watching play various sports.

In addition to being a spectator, Reese was deeply involved in local sports as an umpire for recreational baseball and softball leagues. His commitment and expertise earned him a well-deserved place in the Central Alabama Softball Association Hall of Fame, where he was honored for his contributions and dedication to the sport he loved.

Beyond his professional and athletic accomplishments, Reese will be remembered for his kindness, his warm smile, and his unwavering support for his family and friends. His legacy of love, integrity, and passion for life will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. His love for music was seen in his involvement with the Shades Mountain Baptist Church choir where he and Linda sang and worshiped for over 30 years. Additionally, this love of music took them to see musical greats like The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Keith Urban to name just a few.

Reese is survived by his wife of 48 years, Linda, and their two sons Hunter (Erika) of Vestavia Hills and Scott (Alison) of Bluff Park as well as daughters Karen Ponder Messersmith of Alabaster and Rebecca Ponder Mitchell of St. Thomas USVI.

Funeral services will be held at Shades Mountain Baptist Church conference center in Vestavia Hills on July 9, 2024. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am, followed by the service at 11:00 am. Reese will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all whose lives he touched.

Click here to link to the funeral home obituary.