Obituary of Margaret Elva MacPherson

Margaret Elva MacPherson died peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of January 2, 2012, in Niagara Falls at the home of her son, Brian Arthur Brown. Born at home on November 1, 1916, Margaret (Davison) grew up on a farm in Woodville, Hants County, Nova Scotia. She received her elementary and high school education in the one-room school in Woodville, after which she attended Provincial Normal College (later known as Teachers†™ College) in Truro. She graduated in February 1937, taught for 30 years beginning in a one-room school with 22 pupils. She specialized in primary education in various school, including twenty years at Tower Road School in Halifax. On October 2, 1941, Margaret was married to J. Arthur Brown, whom she had met at P.N.C. in 1936. A loving couple, during the few years they had together they lived in and around the Halifax area where they were involved in church and community life. They had two children, Brian and Gwyneth. who were seven and four years of age when their father died in 1950. Margaret Brown was instrumental in the founding of Trinity United Church in Timberlea, serving as secretary on the initial steering committee and hosting or boarding a series of weekend student ministers. In 1953, Margaret and her two children moved to the city of Halifax, where she resided until 1973 when she moved to Hantsport, Hants County where she taught in a Grade Three classroom for three years. At this time, she married a semi-retired United Church minister, Rev. F. Elwood MacPherson. After living for a year in the manse at Aylesford, where Elwood was the retired supply minister, Margaret and Elwood moved to Windsor, NS. From there they visited with their families and travelled through Canada, the USA and other parts of the world in retirement until Elwood†™s death in April 1990. On July 18, 1991, Margaret attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth, a highlight in the life of one who loved the royal family. After another decade in Windsor, again much involved in church (UCW) and community activities (Red Cross), Margaret moved to the home of Gwyneth and Chris Benoy in Chester Basin, N. S. where she resided comfortably until early 2010 when she relocated to Niagara Falls under the care of Brian and Jenny in their home. Margaret (Davison) will be buried in the Camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax beside James Arthur Brown, following a memorial service at a date to be announced later this year.