Mrs. Clara Margaret Collier, age 97, of Murfreesboro, TN passed away peacefully Tuesday, April 29, 2025. She was born March 2, 1928 in Raymond, MS to the late Clarence Lawrence and Lula Turnage Cagle.
Margaret attended two years at Mississippi College for Women in Columbus, MS. She met her husband, Joe, on a blind date during this time and they married in 1951 just before he shipped off to England to serve in the Korean War. They spent the first 2 years of their marriage in England. After returning to the States, they settled in Murfreesboro in 1963 where Joe started his own civil engineering business, Collier Construction Company, for which she was the bookkeeper for the next 30ish years.
During the early years in Murfreesboro, she was a member of the Newcomer’s Club where she participated in fundraisers and an annual event called the Follies. She and Joe were active members of First Baptist Church for over 60 years. She was a devoted mother and active PTA member – attending sporting events and any activity featuring her children. She was also active for decades in a bridge club with many of her dear friends. Later in life, she and Joe enjoyed traveling – something they couldn’t do when they operated a small construction company. In her last decade, she endured health struggles and disability with grace and humor, never one to wallow in self-pity. She was a light and inspiration to all who knew her.
Margaret was part of a parental call line that was the original social media network of Murfreesboro. Those ladies kept a constant and vigilant watch on all children in the neighborhood and any suspect activity was sure to be known long before the kids made it home. She loved dancing, laughing, Engelbert Humperdinck, talking with friends, doing needlework, prime rib, catfish, and strawberry milkshakes.
Margaret is survived by her two children, Joe H. Collier, Jr. and his wife Belinda and Joan Collier Henning and her husband Chris; grandchildren, Ty Redmond Collier and his wife Caiah, Barry W. Duggin and his wife Tina, Derrick C. Duggin and his wife Mandy, James Copeland Henning, and John Collier Henning; great grandchildren, Titus Collier, Tatum Collier, Tyler Head and his wife Kathryn, Grace Head, Joshua Duggin, and Anna Duggin; and great-great-granddaughter, Eleanor Head. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Joe Harold Collier, Sr., and brother, Billy Cagle.
The Collier family would like to express their appreciation to Adams Place staff for their continued love and support.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Caris Hospice or First Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, TN.
Visitation with the family will be Sunday, May 4, 2025 from 1:00pm until 3:00pm at Woodfin Memorial Chapel. A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, May 4, 2025 at 3:00pm at Woodfin Memorial Chapel.
