Margaret Buckner
Mrs. Margaret Edith Buckner (Harris) died peacefully on June 11, 2017 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the age of 89.
She was fiercely independent, eternally optimistic and a devout and modest Christian. To all who knew her, Margaret exemplified Romans 12, her favorite scripture. She lived every moment of her joyous life as a living, breathing sacrifice to God and others in ways both big and small.
Her handwritten funeral arrangements specified "absolutely no comments". So this is her family's only opportunity to attempt to share how much we respected, loved, enjoyed and appreciated her.
Margaret is survived by her sister, Lee Kellett (Harris) of Fort Oglethorpe, and sister-in-law, Bobbye Harris of Calhoun, Ga., as well as numerous beloved nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews who cherished her as much as she did them.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 21 years, retired Army Pfc. Marvin Jasper "Jack" Buckner, her mother, Anna Laura Harris (Cantrell), father, Robert Andrew Harris, brother, Clarence Edward "Red" Harris, and sister, Mary Frances "Teet" Rich (Harris).
Margaret was born on May 19, 1928, in Chattanooga. Her father worked for U.S. Pipe & Foundry, and she grew up in the family home that sat across the street from the Buster Brown hosiery mill where her mother worked.
A difficult birth left Margaret with a poor gait and limited use of her right hand. She said she never asked her family about the cause of these challenges because she sensed her mother didn't want to talk about it.
Margaret – in every way – always put others' needs ahead of her own, a concept she often shared through the adage: God first, others second, yourself last.
Margaret attended Avondale Elementary and Hardy Jr. High School. Although they would not be formally introduced until more than 10 years later, it was at Hardy where she remembered first meeting her soon-to-be lifelong best friend Ruth Ferriss (Walker). In 1947, Margaret became one of the first members of her family to graduate high school. After leaving City High School in Chattanooga she worked at Goodwill industries. Later in life, she studied executive housekeeping at Tennessee Temple University. She retired from Hutcheson Memorial Hospital after nearly 20 years of housekeeping service.
Margaret was involved in church activities from an early age. In 1948, she joined the local Calvary Church of the Nazarene and never left. As an act of service, she cleaned the church for decades.
It was through religious service that she met her future spouse. She married Jack – cousin-in-law to Ruth – in January 1963 and afterward moved into their longtime home on Taylor Street.
Margaret never wanted children of her own, citing motherhood as one of the few things that ever scared her. She did, however, spend decades lavishing attention on her nieces, nephews and their children, who continue to remember fondly the time they spent with her. She started the family's tradition of making homemade Christmas cookies and candies with the kids. And, even though it was difficult for her to walk all day, she took many family members to Lake Winnepesaukah, with the singular condition that we not "gamble" our money on games of chance.
She babysat four generations of family and scrubbed all our knees. Hard. She always searched for a deal and would show up unexpectedly with a trunk full of toilet paper or Coca-Cola on sale. She'd never accept payment for these everyday treasures, despite having earned a reputation as a legendary spendthrift. Never a proud woman, she also didn't frown when often recounting that someone once told her she could "pinch a nickel so hard she'd make the buffalo squeal." If she were with us today, she'd be flabbergasted that we spent extra money on a longer-than-usual obituary.
Incredibly kind, she was also completely unsentimental. Until the last few weeks of her life, if you said "I love you" to her, she would say, "Thank you. I love you too. If it changes, I'll let you know."
A helper by nature, she didn't enjoy receiving help, either physical or emotional. In fact, if you were able to ask Aunt Margaret how she felt today, she'd undeniably reply, "I'm FINE!"
Beyond her family's fond recollections, what Margaret will be best remembered for is her service to others.
Perhaps most notable is Margaret's 50 years of service as a Red Cross Gray Lady at Erlanger Medical Center, where she volunteered countless hours delivering messages, bringing flowers and newspapers to the sick and helping orient families to the ever-expanding campus. Margaret loved assisting those in need and only ended her service when the physical demands became too great.
She also volunteered with multiple other organizations, including, in her 70s, embarking on 11 mission trips. Always offering to perform the lowliest of duties, Margaret washed dishes and assisted Ruth in kitchens across Alaska, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Kenya and Peru.
Her love of children also made her time as a foster grandparent particularly meaningful, as well as her annual volunteer work with the Forgotten Child Fund's Santa Train.
Visitation will take place on Monday, June 12, from 5-8 p.m. at Advantage Funeral Services, 1724 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga.
A funeral will be held at Advantage on Tuesday, June 13, at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow at 11:30 a.m. at Chattanooga National Cemetery. A reception at Advantage will take place immediately thereafter. Reverend Mike Campbell will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Margaret's life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the charity of your choice.
The family would like to thank the administrators and staff of Martin-Boyd Christian Home as well as each of her wonderful caregivers for attending to her needs with bountiful kindness and genuine affection.