Margaret Carr Scott

Margaret Elaine Carr Scott — daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, teacher, golden girl, and friend. All of these words describe who Margaret Scott was to others. She passed away Thursday, December 15, 2022, at home in Warsaw surrounded by family.

But Margaret was much, much more. She was Intelligent, Giving, Wise, Innovative, Hard-working, Inquisitive, Loving, and oh so Kind. She was also every other positive adjective one could think of to describe a person.

Margaret was born September 13, 1927, to Marshall M. Carr, Sr., and Carrie Taylor Carr. She and her family lived in the Rockfish Community in the southwest corner of Duplin County, the home of many extended Carr family members. These relatives, particularly her brother and cousins, would remain lifelong friends and companions who would share their lives at yearly family reunions with many telephone calls, letters, and regular visits. Margaret kept up with her family using email technology that none of them ever could have imagined in their youth.

The foundation of family that was so important during her childhood stayed with her throughout her 95 years of life. Monthly “family day” gatherings with her own children and their families carried on the tradition of close-knit kinship for many years.

Education was another important aspect of Margaret's life. She graduated Valedictorian of her class from Clement High School (later named Wallace High School). Upon her high school graduation, she immediately gained employment with the Duplin County Board of Education in Kenansville. During this time of employment, Margaret would stay in Kenansville weekdays and return home to Wallace on the weekends. Although Margaret had wanted to attend college after high school graduation, she thought that her parents could not afford college tuition. The Board of Education Superintendent, Dr. O.P. Johnson, was so taken with Margaret's work ethics and knowledge that he encouraged her to go to college to earn her teaching degree. Her parents agreed that college tuition was within their budget and so furthering her education was set in motion.

Margaret enrolled at and graduated from East Carolina Teacher's College in Greenville where she received dual B. S. degrees in Business Education and English. Upon graduation, Margaret returned to Duplin County and began her 35 year teaching career at Rose Hill High School for four years. Upon consolidation in 1956, she taught four years at Wallace-Rose Hill High School, before teaching at James Kenan High School in Warsaw from 1960 until her retirement in 1987.

During her final year of college, Margaret married the love of her life, Clay S. Scott. At the time of their marriage, Clay was serving in the United States Merchant Marines and they agreed that Margaret would finish her education while Clay completed his tour of duty for the Merchant Marines.

Margaret built her career as a teacher, growing at the same time into her role as mother to her children — five in all. Those children married and gave Margaret six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

She was pre-deceased by her parents and her husband Clay. She was also pre-deceased by her sister-in-law, June Carr.

Margaret is survived by her children: Karrina Elaine Scott of Wilmington, Helen Gail Sikes and husband Leon (Sonny) of Rose Hill, Gary Clay Scott and wife Debby of Warsaw, Barbara S. Barwick and husband Wayne of Kinston, and Russell Hale Scott and wife Amy of Richlands. Grandchildren are Clayton Sutton and wife Sonya (Dee), Marsha Sutton Turner and husband Beau, Alex Scott and wife Ryann, Katie Scott Owen and husband Thomas, Ethan Scott and wife Sarah, and Elliott Scott. Great-grandchildren are Grayson, Brinley Grace, and Cameron Sutton, Emily and Caroline Owen, Hayden, Macy, and Atlas Turner, and Henry Clay Scott. She is also survived by her brother, Marshall M. Carr, Jr., of Wilson.

Margaret is also survived by her friend and care-taker Ann Faison of Warsaw. Ironically, Margaret and Ann did not know one another until three years prior to Margaret's death but quickly learned that they had much in common. Ann grew up in the same area of the Rockfish community as Margaret had and Ann's family had worked with various members of the Carr family during Ann's childhood. Through many conversations, connections were made during the time that Ann helped Margaret. She has most definitely become an integral part of the Scott family.

While teaching, Margaret became an active member of the Beta Kappa Chapter of Pi Omega Pi Sorority. She was also a member of the North Carolina Association of Education and National Education Associations. After retiring she was a member of the Duplin County Retired School Personnel where she served as secretary and historian, Alpha Eta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Sorority where she served as secretary and treasurer, and the Duplin County Historical Society where she remained a member until her death.

During her retired years, Margaret set out on another fascinating journey into the world of genealogy. Her research allowed her to index the Barbara Gastor-Beverett and Joseph Carr book as researched by Jacob Wesley Carr and published by James Ozborn Carr. While completing the work to index the book, Margaret discovered compiled works of other families that included common descendants around the United States with may connections to the Carr families. With assistance from her daughter Gail and son Gary, Margaret updated the original “Carr” text by incorporating data from both books — “The Carr Family of Duplin County by J. O. Carr” and “The Carr Family: Descendants of William Marshall Carr and Attie Bordeaux 1978” by Attie Carr Carlton.

All of this work led Margaret to contact many family members in the area to obtain more material. With all the research and collection of new data and organizing it into an easier format containing an index and with much encouragement, in 1995, Margaret was able to publish her own work entitled “Genealogical Portrait of Joseph Carr and Barbara Gastor-Beverett: The Carr Descendants of Duplin County, North Carolina”. This publication allowed her to have contact with persons around the world who are closer kin than imagined.

Margaret continued her genealogical interest and expanded previous efforts to document family histories with the books “Hill-Taylor: Descendants of Carolina Malissa Hill and Ceness Washington Taylor” (her mother's family) and “The Ancestors and Descendants of Hazel Aldine Boyette and Claude Southerland Scott” (her husband's family).

She also published remembrance books, “Granny's Attic”, “The Lineage of Attie Bordeaux Carr” (her grandmother), “A Pictorial Lineage of John Ancram Boyette, Sr., and Emma Diragedy Wilson”, compiled a “Book of Essays” of her mother Carrie Malissa Taylor from her high school days in 1921 at Faison High School, and a collection of essays of family members about her parents.

Her genealogy endeavors afforded her many, many friendships and acquaintances across the country and around the world, many of whom she assisted and advised in their own genealogical journeys.

In 1995, Margaret was honored to be presented the Dallas W. Herring Heritage Award from the Duplin County Historical Society for her work and diligence of preserving family histories through her genealogy work and original publications.
The family especially thanks the team of nurses and other professionals from Community Home Care and Hospice for their wonderful service over the past 14 months.

A service will be held Sunday December 18 at 2 p.m. at Community Funeral Home in Warsaw with family receiving immediately following the service.

Memorials for Margaret Scott may be made to the Duplin County Historical Society, P.O. Box 175, Kenansville, NC, 28349 or Community Home Care and Hospice, 126 E. Elizabeth St., Clinton, NC, 28328.

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