Margaret Cannon

Remembering Margaret Elizabeth Stephenson Cannon The remarkable 92 years of Margaret Elizabeth Stephenson Cannon began on October 16, 1921. Margaret Elizabeth,(or ME, as she has often been called) was born in a house her father had built in Ivor, VA. She was the youngest of seven children (five sisters and two brothers). She was educated in Ivor from the elementary grades through high school, with most of those years occurring during the Great Depression She lettered in basketball for four years during high school. ME continued her education at Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, VA, and at Pan American Business College in Richmond, VA. During World War II, ME served as an airplane spotter while also working as the head bookkeeper at First Mortgage Corporation in Richmond, VA. After the war, she served as the secretary to the supervisor for vocational agriculture (forestry) for the state of VA. In about 1948 she returned to Ivor to live with her mother, and there she served as the secretary for the founder of Ruritan National. She was a member of Ivor Baptist Church, where she served as choir director and as a member of the choir. Her involvement in the community of Ivor included her being a member of the Ivor Women's Club, serving as a Girl Scout leader, performing in several local plays, and serving as the high school girls' basketball and softball coach for several years. On October 3, 1953, ME married Lemuel H. Cannon, and moved to Charlotte NC. Her first daughter, Sherry, was born the next year. Three months after Sherry was born, ME and Lemuel moved to Baltimore MD. In 1956 the family moved to Richmond, and in 1957 they moved to Ivor where they lived with ME's mother until her mother passed away in 1962. In 1963, ME and Lemuel had their second child, Kebbie. ME was singing in choir practice when her labor started. She went home and told Lemuel that she had to go to the hospital. On the way to the hospital they were delayed by a train - a long train! When the train finally passed, they had a 30 minute drive to the hospital! Three months after Kebbie was born, the family moved back to Charlotte. Just like when Sherry was born, after ME gave birth to a baby, they moved to another town! In Charlotte, the family lived on Windsor Drive. ME volunteered for the Charlotte Mecklenberg tutoring program at Selwyn Elementary School. The family bought some property on Rea Road and operated a nursery there. They named the property Strawberry Acres. They built a barn there for Sherry's horse, and it was there that Kebbie began boarding horses. In 1979, their daughter Sherry married Alan Rouse. In 1980, ME and Lemuel built a house on the Rea Road property and moved from Windsor Drive to Strawberry Acres. In 1982 their first grandchild was born (Melody) and in 1984 their second (Laura). Both ME and Lemuel delighted in their grandchildren. ME served as a volunteer in the CFIDS national office near South Park every Wednesday for many years. She was awarded the 1999 CSN Action Champion award for the local support group. In 1989 they decided to move farther out, buying property near Waxhaw, NC - and naming the property Strawberry Acres, Too. ME and Lemuel worked hard to get the property cleaned up, and built a barn on the property where Kebbie boarded horses. In 1991 they built another house at Strawberry Acres Too, just like the one on Rea Road, and moved to the new site. ME loved to work on the property. After Hugo her oldest nephew Wayland sent her a chain saw, and she used it, cleaning up trees and brush. She kept two lawn mower tractors for dragging logs around as she cleaned up areas. If one tractor needed repair, she always had the other available. She enjoyed burning the trash piles, and was no stranger to the Mineral Springs Fire Department. In her later years, as she became less mobile, she could still get around on the property, cut grass, and blow leaves with the tractors. In 1997 Lemuel passed away after a several year decline from a 1993 heart attack. ME continued to live at the Strawberry Acres Too home until she passed away on Friday, January 17, 2014. The kind of person ME was: ME was always thinking about the other person, making them feel good about themselves. She made it her goal to make everyone smile as they leave. She felt like God kept her here longer, for a reason. ME was the last surviving sibling of seven. She was preceded in death by her husband Lemuel (1997), four sisters, and two brothers, two nephews, one niece, and one great nephew. Survivors include two daughters, Kebbie Holden Cannon of Mineral Springs, and Sherry Cannon Rouse (Alan) of Lawrenceville GA; two grandchildren, Melody Rouse Lee (Sherwin) of Acworth GA, and Laura Elizabeth (Rouse) Cotton (Nick) of Canton GA; five great grandchildren (Evelyn Cotton, Abigail Lee, Isaac Cotton, Micah Lee, Annabelle Cotton) *Flowers can be sent to Candlewyck Baptist Church in advance of the service. Alternatively, Mrs Cannon's family has asked that memorials in her name be made to any of the following: Mrs. Cannon's church: http://www.candlewyckchurch.com/ Hospice of Union County: http://www.carolinashealthcare.org/hospice-of-union-county Hope Worldwide http://www.hopeww.org/ CFIDS Association of America http://solvecfs.org/ Expressions of gratitude Mrs. Cannon wished to thank the dedicated staff at Hospice of Union County for their care over the past 22 months. Thanks also go to • The nursing assistance from Bayata, • Pam Helms • Susie and John Bartniski • Barbara Lopez • Jan and Jimmy Critz • All the family and friends who visited and brought meals, flowers, etc. -

Service Information

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014 11:00am, Candlewyck Baptist Church

Interment Details

Private