Maggie Belcher This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. The Sun Herald | 06/06/2004 | Grandmother loves to volunteer

   www.sunherald.com/mld/sunheral - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/6/2004   Last Visited: 6/6/2004

   Maggie Belcher was born in Yalobusha County in Water Valley, the 13th of 15 children born to Willie and Clara Belcher.
   ...
   Maggie and another sister found him. After his death, Maggie and her 17-year-old sister took over his duties of cutting wood and getting up very early to start the fires in their wood stove.
   
   After graduation, Maggie went to Jackson where she trained and became a nursing assistant at the University Medical Center. In 1967, she moved to Pascagoula with her sister, Amanda, and worked as a nursing assistant at Singing River Hospital. She also took some training as a surgical technician. In 1975, she moved around the corner from her brother, Willie, in Gulfport and went to work at Sterling Drugs. She later went to work for a nursing home. It was on that job in 1985 that she injured her back while lifting a patient.
   
   She had more back surgery in 1994. Maggie helped her brother Willie care for his sick wife until she died in September 2002. Willie died in December 2002. Maggie's mother died in 1990.
   
   Maggie married in 1982 but later divorced. She has two daughters, Amanda Belcher and Rita Belcher. Amanda lives in Shreveport where she is in nursing school. Rita lives in Pascagoula and works for the State of Mississippi.
   ...
   Maggie relaxes by reading, working pencil puzzles and listening to jazz and spirituals. She is a member of Forrest Heights Baptist Church in Gulfport where she sings alto in both the Senior and Inspirations choirs and is secretary for the Senior Choir.
   
   She enjoys going out to eat and traveling with her best friend, Hedy Moses, who is like a sister to her. They have traveled to Atlanta; Omaha, Neb.; New Orleans; Laurel and Jackson. For a while, Maggie had a sweet shop in her home so schoolchildren would have a place to stop by and get sodas, candy and pickles. She carries her neighborly compassion further by helping her elderly neighbors. She drives them to the doctor and takes them on errands, but also sits with them when they need her.