Margaret Gaillard Bethea, entered in eternal life on March 31, 2019. She is with her higher power and in God’s loving arms.
A memorial service will be held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Cooper Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be held 1:00-2:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home.
Margaret and her twin Lafon Bethea were born on February 21, 1952 at the Mullins Hospital. She was born to the late Preston “Bud” Bethea II, and Beatrice Dudley McQueen. She was then a Latta native until her death. She graduated from Latta High School in 1970 where she was a great basketball player who had the chance to be coached by Samuel Clardy. She then went to King’s College in Charlotte, NC where she graduated with a degree in accounting in 1972.
Margaret lived and worked for Revco in Greenville, SC for nineteen years. As a resident of Overlook Apartments, she held infamous birthday parties for her basset hound Fred, her first fur baby. In 1990, Margaret relocated to the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach. She was always on hand for her shag club and had the best smile and laugh for anyone she met. In all honesty, she never met a stranger. In the late 90’s she started Maggie’s Bookkeeping Service and was self employed until she retired in 2017 and returned to Latta.
After the death of her brother Archibald Bethea, Margaret embarked on a new journey that helped her celebrate her sobriety. So many friends from all parts of her life will remember her giving and thoughtful nature. She, as always, fell headfirst into AA. She made sure everyone had what little she could give, from a cup of coffee to a place to sleep. Her goal was to make sure that every newcomer was greeted and given numbers they could call in a crisis.
She often said that her pets were her babies. She helped at the North Myrtle Beach Animal Rescue. Maggie and Fred preceded her death, but we are left with her gorgeous babies Abby and Tripod.
Above all, was her family. Her brothers Woody English and Lafon Bethea were her protectors from day one until she passed. She celebrated her nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews with enjoyment and love. Gina (Kevin) Scott and their children, Layne and Jacob Scott of Dillon, SC, Jacqueline English of Marion, SC, Bud (Amy) Bethea and their children, Madison and Walker Bethea of Latta, SC, Adam (Michele) English and their children, Jackson, Lawson, and Samuel of Chapel Hill, NC, Jennifer Bethea of Columbia, SC and her daughter, Claire Bethea of Pinehurst, NC, and Preston (Kendal) Bethea and their daughter Harper Rose Bethea of Greer, SC, and Austin English of Florence, SC. She was preceded in death by her loving great-nephew, Lawson Drew Bethea. She was our shining star and we will look for her at dusk, every evening.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Dothan Community, Inc., P.O. Box 205, Latta, SC 29565, or to Alcoholics Anonymous of Dillon, 2331 Hwy 41 S., Lake View, SC 29563.
