Margaret L. Ramsey McClelland, the daughter of the late William Henry Lee Ramsey and Ollie Mae Fisher Ramsey, was born on October 28, 1936, in Rowan County, N.C.. She took her rest from labor to reward on Friday, November 22, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.

Margaret was educated in the Rowan County Schools, at R.A. Clement Elementary and High Schools in Cleveland, N.C., where she was an active member of the student council at both schools, prior to graduating in 1955. Margaret furthered her education at Livingston College in Salisbury, N.C., UNC at Chapel Hill and Mitchell Community College in Statesville, N.C., where she studied Special Education.

She was an active member of Knox Grove Baptist Church in Cleveland, N.C., throughout her formative and young adult years. She later joined First Baptist Church in Statesville, N.C., and in her senior years she joined New Life Missionary Baptist Church in Troutman, N.C. Margaret was a very spiritual and devoted Christian, who always put God first and foremost in everything she did in life. You would often hear her repeatedly saying, “Trust in God” and “Give it to the Lord and forget about it.”

After graduating from Eckels College of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia, Pa., and passing the North Carolina State Board of Mortuary Science Exam with the highest test score, Margaret began her funeral service career in 1965 under the mentorship of her aunt, Mary Bell Bigham, owner of Rutledge & Bigham Mortuary Inc. in Statesville, N.C., where she earned her funeral service license. Margaret was very skilled and meticulous as an Embalmer and Funeral Director.

In 1970 Margaret, along with Willie James “Bill” McClelland Sr., whom she would later marry in 1974, her brother James T. Ramsey and sister-in-law, Joann Morrison Ramsey, opened The Ramsey & McClelland Mortuary, at 502 Monroe Street in Statesville, N.C. With the help of her family and many people in the community, she operated a successful funeral service business until it dissolved in the mid 1980s after the death of her husband and business partner “Bill.”

Margaret then returned to her other passion of educating special needs students, She began to serve as a Teacher’s Assistant and School Bus Driver at N.B. Mills Elementary School in Statesville, N.C., and turned her passion into a career until her retirement in 1999.

Margaret was a woman who always had to stay busy. So it was nothing to see her always working somewhere part-time in Statesville retail or the Statesville Recreation & Parks Department.

During her lifetime, Margaret endured and overcame several health crises, including three strokes and double breast cancer, which motivated her to became an advocate for breast cancer awareness and an ardent supporter of the Susan G. Komen organization. Margaret always loved to help people, which led her to be an active and tireless weekly volunteer at the Mooresville Soup Kitchen, to serve those in need, until her declining health would no longer allow her to continue her services. Margaret was also noted for her fierce and tireless work campaigning to elect Barack Obama as the first African American president of the United States.

Margaret was truly given her flowers while she was living by her children and family who loved her. For example, just 16 days before she closed her eyes and said goodbye, she walked into the Statesville Civic Center to be surprised by a room full of the people who showered her with love and blessings to celebrate her 88th birthday, not knowing that it was her farewell celebration and the final time to bless us with her smile.

In addition to her parents, Margaret was preceded in death by her siblings:, William L. Ramsey Sr., Arthur Ramsey, Barnie Ramsey, Charles Ramsey, Everett Ramsey, Thomas Ramsey, James Ramsey, Baby John Ramsey, Mary Frances Howard and Mae Helen Kiser; a niece, Phyllis Anderson; nephews, Bobby Howard, Lee Ramsey, Cedric Ramsey, and Audrey Ramsey; and a special cousin, Louise Bigham Moton.

Margaret was an avid reader, and you could always find her reading her Bible or daily devotion books. She loved a good crossword puzzle book and loved to verbally engage and debate the news reports on CNN nearly all day long, daily. She could work an iPhone like a teenager, trying to keep up with the latest news. She was a low-key comedian and would always have her family amused by some of the things she would say and do. She loved the beach; it was her happy place. And she loved sitting on her porch every day looking at her beautiful rose bushes, drinking her coffee and working that iPhone.

Margaret was big on family, and she truly loved all her family, but her grandchildren and great grandchildren, whom she named her angels, were her heart. She loved just picking up the phone to talk to her family and friends daily and informing relatives what was going on in the cities and towns where they lived.

Margaret leaves to cherish the legacy of her life her three children, Denise Ramsey (Douglas) Houpe of Statesville, N.C., Ronald B. (Doris) Ramsey Sr., of Lithonia, Ga., and J. Michael McClelland of Statesville, N.C.; three stepchildren, Willette Swayer of Winston-Salem, N.C., Willie James (Willie Dean) McClelland Jr., of Gastonia, N.C., and Allen McClelland of Decatur, Ga.; six grandchildren, Alexis (Angel Morales) Geter and Bradley (Ni) Geter, both of Charlotte, Ronald B. Ramsey Jr., of Lithonia, Ga., Christyn E. Major, of Atlanta, Ga., and Cierra O. (Devon) Chambers and Brianna Allison, both of Salisbury, N.C.; six great grandchildren, Mariah Major, Andrez Smith-Geter, Alba Chambers, Amani Chambers, Christian Morales and Georgia Swaringen; her daughter-in-law, Tina Templeton of Statesville, N.C.; her sisters-in-law, Joann Ramsey of Statesville, N.C., and Roberta Ramsey of Las Vegas, Nev.; nieces and nephews, Willie Lazenby, Debra Beatty, Carolyn Williams, Pamela Ramsey, Valda Robinson, Jewel Hoyle, Crystal Greene, Judith Ramsey, Arthur Ramsey Jr., Ann Ramsey, Marion Hamlin, Kathy Miller, Clarence Ramsey, Stanley Ramsey, Darryl Ramsey, Charles Ramsey, Jr., Derrick Ramsey, Sharon Ellis, Teresa Johnson, Zena Ramsey, Taryn Ramsey, Lamont Ramsey, Steven Ramsey, Sr., Rubetta Tihlman, Jonathan Ramsey, Johnathan Ramsey, Mark Kiser, Tonya Kiser, Erica Grassaway, and Waverlyn Reid; great nieces, great nephews, cousins, other relatives, including adopted sons, Elder Chistopher Daniels, Shelby Misher Sr., David Moton Sr., Flake “Chris “ Huggins Jr., Skip Dulin, Bo Geter and Steve Howell. Other special friends include Gussy Bellamy, who she adopted as a sister, Ms. Adelle, Dolliether Daniels, Kay Imes, Linda Mattox, Joseph T. (Evelyn) Clyburn Sr., Ms. Barbara Holloman, Henry Newsome, Kim Sloan, Von Tenor and Gloria Foster, whom were also her caregivers; Wade Ikard, Overseer Barbara Imes, Pastor Caroyln Cuthrell, Maggie Turner, Virginia Lazenby, Rosie Bailey, Wyomia Stevenson, Vermel Moore, William Summers, Julia Lackey, Rydell and Nita Cowan, Wanda Hardy, Hobart and Barbara Mays, Priscilla Dudley, Bernardette Davis, Bernardeane Moton, her First Baptist and New Life Missionary Church families and affectionately all of her Rutledge and Bigham Funeral Home family.

Celebration of life services will be conducted at 12 noon on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at New Life Missionary Baptist Church in Troutman, N.C. Reverend Ivan Cowan is Pastor and Elder Christopher Daniels will officiate. Burial will follow at The Knox Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Cleveland, N.C. Margaret will remain at Rutledge and Bigham Mortuary, 603 South Center Street, Statesville, N.C., until taken to the church to lie in state at 10:30 a.m.

Members of the family will receive friends on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the church, but will assemble at the residence, 107 Greenmeadow Lane, Statesville, N.C., at other times.

Visit the Book of Memories for Margaret Ramsey McClelland, at www.rutledgeandbigham.com.

Rutledge and Bigham Funeral Home is serving the family of Margaret Ramsey McClelland.