“The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deut. 33:27.
“When I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.”
On the afternoon of July 11, 2024, with her adoring family at her bedside, Margaret Anne Johnston Forester, 66, a Jackson native and longtime Belhaven resident, soared to worlds unknown and was welcomed to her eternal dwelling place by the everlasting arms of her Lord.
Margaret Anne was born on May 6, 1958, at the old Baptist Hospital in Jackson, the first born of Edmund Johnston, a banker, and his wife, the former Betty Anne Buchanan. She was the namesake of her grandmothers, Margaret Johnston (“Miss Priss”) and Anne Buchanan.
A child of the covenant, Margaret Anne was raised by her parents in the nurture and admonition of the Lord at First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, where she was an active member her entire life. Beginning its first year, she attended First Presbyterian Day School where her grandfather, Ed Johnston, served as a member of the school’s first board of trustees. Afterwards, she attended Jackson Prep, graduating with the class of 1976. Often called “Maj” by classmates, she was a member of the swim team, the Jackson Prep Singers, and the Pacers drill team.
She fondly remembered growing up with her siblings on Pine Lane Drive and Canterbury Court, family vacations at Pickwick Lake and the Gulf Coast, dancing with Louise to the Supremes, listening to the music of Carol King, swim team practices at Colonial Country Club, and summers in the mountains attending Camp Desoto in Mentone, Ala.
Following high school, she attended the University of Mississippi, majoring in English. At Ole Miss, she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority where she formed many strong, lifelong friendships with her “Angel Sisters.” She also served as president of the Daughters of the Diamond (little sisters of Beta Theta Pi fraternity).
She met her future husband, Jacksonian Marcial D. Forester Jr. (Marcy), during their freshman year in college while on a bus trip to Starkville for a fraternity basketball contest. She was on a blind date accompanying one of his Beta brothers, who, having celebrated too much following the game victory, providentially slept the entire bus ride back to Oxford. Her future husband stepped in during the trip home to make sure she was not without escort and was smitten with her from that moment by her beauty, her spirit, and her sense of humor (they traded silly jokes the entire trip).
Following their college courtship, Margaret Anne and Marcy married in 1981. She worked at First National Bank of Oxford while he attended law school at Ole Miss before they returned to their hometown in 1983.
The Lord blessed the couple with three sons, Marcial Davidson III (born in 1985), Matthew Edmund (1988) and Andrew Franklin (1991). As a young mother having only sons, Margaret Anne was “the Queen,” always at home with her boys and often taking them on scavenger hunts, exploring their Belhaven neighborhood. The entire Belhaven College campus became their playground.
At home on Arlington Street for 37 years, she had a deep appreciation for living in the neighborhood of her father’s youth, where she could sit waiting on her front steps listening for the chatter of her boys coming down the sidewalk walking home from the same Day School she attended, and where she looked forward to long strolls and impromptu visits with her wonderful neighbors. Years later, on that same campus, she would proudly attend her sons’ college concerts, plays, and basketball games.
Once the boys were older, she began a career that would span more than 20 years working as a “shop girl” at the two Woodland Hills stores owned by her mother-in-law, known as The Paper Place and The Toy Place. She was highly sought by customers for her attentive service, creativity, and expertise in stationery, wedding invitations and registries, and children’s toys and other gifts. Countless “Paper Place brides” relied on her when planning and announcing their weddings.
She was active in community groups, such as the Belhaven Home and Garden Club, the Junior League of Jackson, the Jackson Area Alumnae Panhellenic Association, and the Pi Beta Phi Jackson-Metro Alumnae Club. As a volunteer, she regularly entertained pediatric cancer patients at Children’s of Mississippi at University of Mississippi Medical Center and visited with residents at St. Catherine’s Village.
Margaret Anne loved the Lord and His people, and she found special enjoyment as an adult in her Sunday school classes and serving the church in many roles—be it on youth staff leading senior high girls Bible studies, as Vacation Bible School helper, attending Bible study and discipleship groups, or with Marcy teaching children’s Sunday school.
She had a remarkable green thumb. With the passion and dedication of a master gardener, she grew a beautiful flower garden at her home that she enjoyed sharing with any interested soul strolling by.
Margaret Anne cherished quality time with her family, especially during their beach vacations. Always mad about words, she delighted in solving puzzles and playing games with her family—whether quiet activities, like playing cards or board games, or more rambunctious events, like Pictionary or charades. In recent years she was known for her Wordle prowess, usually claiming modestly that she had just gotten a lucky first word.
She was a fishing enthusiast, a pastime she first enjoyed as a girl with her father. She always looked forward to fishing and spending time with her family at Twin Lakes Camp and Conference Center in Florence, where she once served as a camp counselor, later hosted her sons’ birthday parties, and where the bass and bream can rest easier now. In recent years she served as a member of the Board of Directors of Twin Lakes.
A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, Margaret Anne loved her family fiercely and loyally supported them in their different interests—from sports to theater to music—and she gave of herself in every possible way, always available as confidant, cheerleader, costume designer, makeup artist, and chauffeur.
She adored her three daughters-in-law and delighted in spending “girl time” with them after raising sons. She cherished her more recent role as “Missy” to her two granddaughters, with whom she and “Tex” spent many happy hours setting up tea parties, running bubble baths, doing arts and crafts, and playing at Laurel Park.
Eleven years ago, Margaret Anne was diagnosed with an aggressive form of thyroid cancer and endured many surgical and non-surgical treatments, primarily at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Over those years, much time was spent residing in Houston, where occasionally she would take long prayer walks under the live oaks of Hermann Park, her happy place. She will be remembered as an amazing example of a mature believer in Christ who trusted Him to take her and keep her through her difficult journey.
She did not necessarily want to be known as the “Cancer Girl,” but she faced her illness and treatments with inner strength and courage surpassing that displayed by any athlete. A ministry of encouraging other cancer patients grew out of her own journey. Her husband endeavored to care for her sacrificially, placing her needs before his own.
She will be remembered by family and friends for her smile that lit up any room she entered; her keen wit and playful sense of humor; for her knowledge of her own family history, as well as her expertise on the British monarchy; for silently correcting your grammar; enjoying Tolkien’s Trilogy and other novels with her sons; boogie-board surfing and drip sand castles at the beach; her deviled eggs and fudge brownies; hurrying to the lake to catch the first fish and ultimately catching the most; knowing the best trees on the Belhaven campus for gathering pecans; leading her family’s annual Christmas cookie decorating; her pride in growing peonies in Mississippi; being shadowed in her garden by her faithful gardening cats, Tigger, Boots, Snow, and Juliet; cheering in the stands for the Patriots, Rebels, and Blazers.
Margaret Anne was preceded in death by her parents; father-in-law, Marcial D. Forester; brother-in-law, Mike Forester; nephew, William Forester Richardson.
She is survived by her husband of 43 years; sons, Davidson (Angela) Forester, Matthew (Brighton) Forester, and Andrew (Katy) Forester; granddaughters, Pearson and Rowan Forester; siblings, Becky (Jed) Lazzeri, Jed (Mark) Johnston; mother-in-law, Gladys Forester; siblings-in-law, Marcia (Scott) Richardson, Mitch (Stephanie) Forester; nieces and nephews, Nathan (Robyn) Wall, Maggie (Taylor) Scarbrough, Katherine Forester, Clayton (Kelly) Wall, Kathleen Richardson, Bennett Johnston, Harrison Johnston.
Visitation was held on July 19, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, followed by a service of worship officiated by the Rev. Dr. David T. A. Strain and the Rev. William Dempsey, with the Rev. Dr. William Wymond, organist. A private graveside service, officiated by the Rev. Wiley Lowry, with Kris Carmichael, piper, was held for the family at Parkway Memorial Cemetery in Ridgeland. Pallbearers were Bobby Crosland, Craig Crosland, Richard Dixon, Mark Eakins, Jed Lazzeri, Mitch Forester, Scott Richardson.
Margaret Anne’s family would like to thank the many physicians and medical professionals who were part of her care team in Houston and Jackson over the years and cared for her so well, especially Dr. Maria E. Cabanillas of MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Memorials suggested by her family include: The Redeemer’s School (wearetrs.org), Twin Lakes Camp and Conference Center (twinlakescamp.org), First Presbyterian Day School (fpds.org), and the Bill Wymond Music Ministry Intern Fund at First Presbyterian Church (fpcjackson.org).
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Tim. 4:7.
“Finally, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Phil. 4:8.
