Margaret Louise Ragland, daughter of Calvin and Gladys Rodgers Norcross was born near Norris on January 19, 1925. She traveled to heaven on February 3, 2007.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday 10 a.m. at the United Methodist Church of Clinton with a visitation to be held on Monday 6-7:30 pm at Vansant Mills Funeral Home. Burial will be in Englwood Cemetery. In lieu 'of flowers, memorials can be made to the Clinton United Methodist Church, Henry County Historical Society, or the Clinton Education Foundation.

She will be remembered by her devoted husband of 59 years, Charles, one daughter Deborah and husband Terry Mitchel of Clinton, two granddaughters Lana Mitchel of Summit, New Jersey and Dara Mitchel of Galveston, TX.

Other family members are one sister Eunice Clark of Clinton, two brothers Ernest Norcross of Clinton and Claude Norcross and wife Dorothy of Drexel. Sisters-in-law Lacy Norcross of Clinton, Ilene Norcross of Washington Illinois, Naomi Ragland of Linden Washington, Louise Ragland of Wichita Kansas; brother-in-law William Ragland and wife Mary Helen of Clinton; one aunt Margaret Norcross of Warrensburg.

Margaret received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Central Missouri State University. She spent eighteen years teaching elementary grades in various schools throughout Henry County. Margaret and Charles were united in marriage May 26, 1948. They enjoyed their time dairy-farming in the Norris area through 1989, when they retired and moved to Clinton. Their family honored Charles and Margaret for their 50th wedding anniversary in 1998.

Margaret was a member of the Clinton United Methodist Church and the Samaritan-Builders Sunday school class. She was also a member of the Norris Neighborly Homemakers Club, the Henry County Historical Society, and the Retired Teachers Association. Margaret and Charles had been members of the Golden Valley Square Dance Club for over 25 years. Margaret served as historian for the Norris School Alumni Association since it was organized in 1964.

Margaret and Charles enjoyed several tour-bus trips to various places including Nova Scotia, Northwestern States, Myrtle Beach, and the Canyonlands.


Margaret pursued several hobbies following her retirement from teaching including ceramics, quilting, painting, and flower gardening. She occasionally taught art and craft classes in her home and nearby communities.

Those welcoming Margaret in heaven are her parents, three infant brothers, brother Bob Norcross and his first wife Jean; brother Lawrence Norcross, brothers-in-law H. Edward Ragland, A. David Clark, Joseph Bowser, Howard Ragland and his first wife Betty, also a sister-in-law Mary Virginia Ragland Bowser