Margaret Martin Major

In her 94th year, on April 22, 2025, Margaret Martin Major died peacefully in Summerville SC comforted by family gathered at her side.  We ask all those who knew Margaret to share our sadness, but to also share our joy in knowing she again walks by the side of her loving husband Harold and son Keith in Heaven.  The two men of our family required much supervision in life.  And God now welcomes the watchful eyes of Margaret to help keep them in line, a challenge even for the angels.

Margaret was born on February 11, 1931 in the small textile mill town of Pelzer, SC to Charley and Beatrice Martin.  They were instrumental in impressing upon Margaret the hometown values, morales and compassion that only small Southern towns can truly give you.  In those post-war years of the twentieth century, you could quickly tell from which textile town you came from by the color of cotton lint in your hair.  The lint was indeed a source of pride and a badge of honor as if it were a high school mascot worn upon a letter jacket.   Pelzer lint was highly distinguishable from Williamson lint and all other lint from competing small textile towns.  You dare do no wrong as you could be traced back to the town and even the street where your parents lived simply by the color of the lint you left behind.  

Margaret attended elementary and high school in Pelzer and soon after graduation witnessed the consolidation with Williamston High School, where Harold attended, forming Palmetto High School. The mascot was rebranded from the Pirates to the Mustangs.  Margaret denied responsibility for the uncertainty of the mascot but was nonetheless proud of being from Pelzer High. Later she attended business school in Greenville SC where she learned the secretarial arts of typing, shorthand and business accounting. Her first job as a budding secretary was providing clerical assistance at Harry Major’s Modern Supply Store in Williamston SC, just a stone’s throw from Pelzer.  Margaret quickly became a skilled saleswoman in marketing the latest  RCA televisions, Hifi stereos to listen to big band music, fluffy & puffy mattresses, and the godsends for housewives--kitchen appliances, washers, dryers and  the newest of refrigerators.  

A young man made it a point of finding obscure reasons to drop by Uncle Harry’s store.  In short order Margaret soon met Harry Major’s dapper young nephew  Harold,  an ace basketball player and scratch golfer.  In but a few exchanges of nervous smiles, a flirtatious laugh or two, and not-so-subtle inviting wink of an eye, the two started dating.  So enamored was Harold with his uncle’s beautiful young assistant, that he walked two miles each way to sit on Charley and Beatrice’s front porch (and under their watchful eyes!) to court and share dreams of a future life together with Margaret.  Their attraction to one another was strong and they were married on September 15, 1950 at Uncle Harry’s house in Williamston.   

Over the next decade Margaret and  Harold had three children-Keith, Terri and Cindy.  When Donaldson AFB closed in Greenville, Harold continued his career as a Budget Officer at Charleston AFB. Margaret threw herself into the far more challenging task of raising the children of the Major Clan.  They soon settled into their home at 114 Camellia Drive in a ranch-styled home underneath the spreading limbs of the oldest and biggest oak tree in Dorchester County and where they happily lived for many years.  

The Major Family quickly adjusted to Lowcountry Life. Margaret was a wonderful mother to her children and exposed them to the wonders and fun of the water and nearby parks.  The beach and lakes were just 30 minutes away. She boasted of being able to prepare any meal that came in a box and that was no exaggeration.  Truly she was a wonder at creating holiday dinners. Our Mom would make the house immaculately clean in the morning and set about building furniture for our rooms in the afternoon. For Cindy she built  a three-story Barbie house complete with window treatments, wallpaper, rugs and even tiny furniture to go inside the rooms.  Determined to make Keith a Rhodes Scholar, she built him a desk to do homework and write “I will not chew gum in class!” a 1000 times.  Margaret’s homemaking skills were truly amazing as she would refinish furniture and upholster chairs as beautiful as if they were new.  For us girls, she proved a talented seamstress and made our doll’s clothes, church dresses, school clothes and even our prom dresses. She once took our Aunt Betty’s Halloween costume (she was the character Aladin) and as quick as you could say “abracadabra” she refashioned the costume into a runner for the dining room table with matching placemats and dinner napkins.  Her skills seemed endless and amazed us children.  She enjoyed crafts like cross stitching, smocking, painting-by-number and flower arranging.  In her later years she continued to read books and always read the newspaper.  Readers Digest was always near to her side and shoved under our noses to read.  She enjoyed watching TV.  She never saw an episode of Judge Judy or Law and Order from which she didn’t come away with new insights into parenting us kids and grandkids.  When Mom started “reading us our rights,” we knew we were in plenty trouble and eventually would end up in front of Judge Judy.

Margaret was predeceased by her parents, her son Keith, her brother Charles Martin and his wife Libby.  She is survived by her daughters Teresa Major Luhrs, MD (John Camp) of Macon, Georgia and Cynthia Major, and daughter-in-law Virginia Bailey Major. Her grandchildren are: Traci Major Theodore (Matt), Micah Major (fiancé Penelope Diaz), and Rachel Rush, and two amazing great grandchildren, Ansley and Lowndes, all of Summerville.  She is also survived by her nephew, Anthony Martin, DMD (Megan) of Columbia SC.

Margaret will always be remembered for her warmth and kindness as well as her fierce loyalty to her family and friends.  Margaret was indeed a force among all of us from which we individually drew our power and our love for each other. She is one of those special people in our lives that truly became our Northern Star for finding our way and the example of who we wanted to be.  We all love you Mom and may God bless you still more as we know you are with him now. 

The family expresses their appreciation to the very kind and compassionate staff of Stratford Assisted Living in Ladson  who cared for her even until her last minute with us.  

Cremation services are provided by Simplicity Funerals of Ladson SC. Interment will take place in a private ceremony. A memorial service will be held in the near future.  In lieu of flowers, we ask for donations to the charity of your choice.