Margaret grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Margaret gave her life to Christ at the age of 10, during a tent effort run by Elder L.B. Baker. She loved the Lord, and enjoyed participating in various ministries.
Margaret finished her last year of high school in Hawthorne, Nevada where her two aunts lived. She graduated in 1962 from Mineral County High School at the top of her class.
A few years later, she moved to Sacramento, California to attend college. During this time, she adopted her niece, Lois Ann, who was six months old. While in Sacramento she gave birth to her two children, James Bernard and Angela Denise. She was a firm mother, yet loving as she sought to shield her children from the unprincipled ways of the world.
She enjoyed Sacramento, but later decided to move to Las Vegas to live with her sister, Lucille. After a few years she moved to Huntsville, Alabama. She felt that this was the place she wanted to rear her three children. There, she enjoyed the Seventh-day Adventist community, particularly the Oakwood Church. She made sure her children were active in youth ministries and she had many roles in the church. Margaret, a hard-worker, sought to keep her children in church school until she could no longer afford the tuition.
Her time in Huntsville came with many struggles; however, her faith in Christ kept her steadfast and immovable. While working as a single parent in Huntsville, she became a realtor and worked several clerical jobs. She attended Alabama A & M University. There she continued her pursuit of being the 1st of her siblings to attain a college degree. Margaret was tenacious.
Determined to reach her educational goals, in 1981, she moved back to Las Vegas and enrolled at UNLV. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in Elementary Education. Her teaching career began in Las Vegas where she had the privilege of teaching grades 1-5, and later transitioned to middle school as a math and science educator. Margaret dedicated her life to at-risk kids. She believed that was her calling from God. Although teaching in impoverished areas came with many challenges, she knew that many students' lives were changed as a result of her being their teacher.
Toward the end of her career, she began studying to receive her doctorate degree in education. In 2011, she achieved a major accomplishment by receiving her doctor of education degree before retiring from the Clark County School District at the age of 67. During her retirement, she worked as an editor for doctoral students and also served as an adjunct professor in the college of education. She never stopped striving and achieving.
Throughout the years, Margaret was a faithful steward in the vineyard for Christ. She sacrificially helped others through ministry, eldership, Vacation Bible School Director, usher, Sabbath School Superintendent, and choir member. She was one of the first female elders at the Abundant Life SDA Church, under the tutelage of Pastor Calvin Rock. She was a role model that did everything with precision and grace. She spoke eloquently and thoughtfully.
Margaret was a firm believer in giving back. She was passionate about single parents and impoverished families. She always found ways to help others discreetly. She was known to help her students with lunch, clothes, or school supplies. She lived by the philosophy of "I'm blessed so I can bless others."
The last few years of her life were filled with many near death episodes because of serious illnesses. She was a fighter to the end, and you could never count her out. After being given last rites, by the grace of God, she continued to bounce back on many occasions. She maintained an uncanny sense of humor. After one episode, the next day, not expecting she had survived, she said with enthusiasm, “ I’m still here”.
Preceded in death were her parents, Benjiman and Martha Landry, two sisters: Shirley and Josie; and one brother, Charles. Margaret leaves her son, James Bernard Thomas; two daughters: Lois Ann Landry and Angela Denise (Lawrence) Rawls; one sister, Lucille Landry Carter; eight grandchildren: Jason L., Lakeshia, Jason T, James, Jessica, Jasmine, Maya and Teshi. 9 great grandchildren and host of nieces and nephews. Margaret leaves and cherishes memories of other extended family members and friends who held her dear.
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