Margaret Lawson Black

Margaret Lawson Black, age 97, widow of Charles D. Black of Charleston, died peacefully at her apartment in Charleston in the company of her loving family. Margaret was born on April 6, 1914, in Gainesville, Georgia. She was the second of three daughters born to Mattie Eugenia Little of Gainesville and James Eugene Lawson of Abbeville, South Carolina.

Margaret's family moved to Pratt City, Alabama when she was about three, and to Pacolet, South Carolina when she was about seven, but her fondest childhood memories were from the family farm at Calhoun Falls, South Carolina. She moved to the farm at age ten after her grandfather passed away. She graduated from Calhoun Falls High School in 1931 and from nearby Lander College in Greenwood, South Carolina in 1938.

Margaret moved to Charleston in 1941 to take a teaching position at Ben Tillman Elementary in North Charleston. She also worked a year as a draftsperson at the Charleston Naval Shipyard during World War II and met her husband Charlie while working at the Shipyard. They married in 1945 in Charleston and spent three years on the road while Charlie was with J.A. Jones Construction. They returned to Charleston in 1948 and were residents of West Ashley for the remainder of their life together. She and Charlie were married for over 55 years. She spent the last year of her life at her granddaughter's home in Charleston and enjoying the company of two of her three great-grandchildren.

Margaret's working career was focused on children. She taught elementary school for twenty two years in Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, nine of which were at Stono Park Elementary in West Ashley. She also taught special needs students in the Child Development Center when it first opened at the Medical College of South Carolina. She was also a nursery and kindergarten teacher at John Wesley United Methodist Church.

Margaret is survived by her daughter, Martha Herring and husband, Russell of Columbia, South Carolina, her son, Charles D. Black, Jr. and wife, Jennifer of Charleston, grandchildren; Amy Lewis and her husband, Lee of Charleston, Emily Thompson and her husband, Matthew of Greenville, Carrie Black of Melbourne, Florida, Ty Thomas and his wife, Nisey of Charleston, and Rachel Lunn of Billings, Montana, brother-in-law, Guy Francese of Lake View, South Carolina, three great grandchildren, as well as four loving nieces and their families. She dearly missed her two sisters, Becky Lawson of Charleston and Florence Bartlett of Columbia who predeceased her.

Margaret's family would like to thank caregivers, Geneva Drayton, Nora Ferguson and Dorothy Haynes for their constant love and care of Margaret.

The relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral services, Wednesday, February 8, 2012, at 2:00 p.m., graveside at Live Oak Memorial Gardens. Friends may call at J. HENRY STUHR, INC., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL, Tuesday, from six until eight p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to John Wesley United Methodist Church, 626 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407.

A memorial message may be written to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com.