Margaret Irene Cauthen Sumner, 86, of Tifton departed this life and entered heaven Tuesday, December 19, 2017, at Cypress Pond Assisted Living in Tifton. The family will receive friends Wednesday, December 20, 2017, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for funerals. A private burial will be held for Mrs. Sumner at a later date.
She was born early on Sunday morning, December 6, 1931 to Charlie Roy Cauthen and Ruby Evelyn Owen Cauthen. In addition to her parents, Margaret was also preceded in death by a sister, Marilyn Jean Cauthen Brown; and two brothers, William Roy Cauthen and Jimmy Lewis Cauthen. Margaret’s grandparents were the late Kate Adcock Owen and Lewis Milner Owen and the late Leona Lynch Cauthen and Edward Alexander Cauthen, all of Eldorado.
Margaret graduated from Tifton High School in 1948, never missing a day of school from the first day in first grade through graduation. She loved school and remained good friends with her graduating class, enjoying class reunions for years. She retired from the Coastal Plain Experiment Station after 25 years of service and was a sales associate at Belk-Hudson Department Store, part-time, for 22 years, earning several awards for sales and store security. She loved working at both places, as she loved working with people and had many friends at both places. She loved being from Eldorado and she loved Tifton. Margaret lived in Tift County her entire life. She thought it was a wonderful place to live. She loved the people on Branch Street, where she lived for 55 years.
Margaret is survived by her three children and their spouses, Melanie and Jack Folk, Lynwood David Jr. and Jacqueline Gainford-Sumner and Leslie Stephen and Gina LeAnn Dorminey Sumner; her grandchildren, Margaret “Meg” Marie Shipley Adams (Everett), Matthew Cauthen Shipley, Abbey Sumner Sandifer (Brant), Stephen Dorminey Sumner, Sara Beth Folk and Stephanie Folk Sapp. She has also been blessed with four great-granddaughters. She loved these grandchildren dearly and was affectionately known as “Maga” to them and also to a lot of people in Tifton. Margaret is also survived by two dear sisters, Merle Kathryn Cauthen Hornsby (Joe) and Martha Evelyn Cauthen Narofsky, both of Eldorado.