November 22, 1919 – October 11, 2005

by Charles K. (Ken) McCotter, Jr., Christ Episcopal Church, New Bern, NC, 2016

Margaret Mitchell Hay StallingsMargaret Mitchell Hay Stallings was born in Charleston, South Carolina. She was the daughter of Samuel Marion Hay and Mabel Sutherland Mitchell Hay. She was reared in Mount Pleasant, across the Cooper River from Charleston, and attended grade and high school in Charleston. After graduating from the College of Charleston in 1940, she attended Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she met her husband, Robert Lee Stallings, Jr., from New Bern. They lived in San Diego, California, Urbana, Illinois, and Chapel Hill, North, before moving to New Bern in 1951 with their two children, Mary and Buddy.

Margaret was a cradle Episcopalian, baptized and confirmed at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. After moving to New Bern, it was only natural that she and Bob became involved at Christ Episcopal Church. The family attended Sunday School and Church each Sunday. Margaret was one of the founding members of St. Margaret’s, a Chapter of the Episcopal Church Women, and was active until her death. She was one of the chapter leaders involved in publishing and hand collating the first cookbook published in the 1950s by the Christ Church Churchwomen (the one with the wooden cover and handwritten recipes, one to a page). Another fundraiser that she dearly loved was the annual fall church bazaar, which was held in the Parish House. A benefit was that the ladies got to better know each other by working together, in addition to raising money for their projects. Margaret presented an idea from her childhood church of the flowering of cross by the children on Easter Day. The five-foot wooden cross was covered in chicken wire and then transformed into a beautiful cross with the flowers that the children brought and placed on it during the offertory. Margaret helped make Chrismons for the sanctuary Christmas tree.

Margaret was an active member of the Altar Guild for over thirty years. At this time, ladies were invited to serve on the Altar Guild by the parish priest. As a part of her Altar Guild ministry Margaret cleaned and prepared the Lay Eucharistic Ministry boxes each week for the Eucharistic visitors to take communion to shut-ins and hospital patients.

Margaret was interested in Christian Education. As a couple, Margaret and Bob hosted Bible studies in their home. Margaret served as one of the docents at the Church on weekday afternoons where she led tours and answered questions of the many visitors.

In addition to church activities, Margaret and Bob were very active in the New Bern Historical Society and were founding members of the New Bern Preservation Foundation which was organized to save local historic homes and buildings.

Margaret was interested in others – always wanting to learn and to be exposed to new ideas. Her hospitality and her friendly manner endeared her to others. No one could ever forget that beautiful smile.