Margaret Ruth Barber Gordon

Surrounded by her family, Margaret Ruth Barber Gordon, 97, peacefully went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Thursday, July 20, 2023.  She is preceded in death by her husband Clyde F. Gordon.  She is survived by her beloved children, Terry F. Gordon (Mitzi), Randall C. Gordon (Vanessa), Clifton E. Gordon (Lydia) and Cynthia Gordon Nash (Charles), nine grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews, and devoted friends.

Mrs. Gordon was born in Surry County, N.C. to Thomas and Maud Hunt Barber of Pinnacle on June 8, 1926 where they lived on the ‘Brown Place’ and were farmers.  After losing the farm during the depression, the family moved to Winston-Salem where Thomas worked as a policeman.  Mrs. Gordon had two brothers, Grieder and Wallace.

Mrs. Gordon graduated from Griffith High School in 1943.  She was one of the first female school bus drivers for the school system in Forsyth County.

After graduation while working at Reynolds Tobacco Company, she met her beloved husband of 62 years, Clyde F. Gordon.  Some of her fondest memories were made when they lived in Guam while Clyde served in the Navy after the war.

Mrs. Gordon dearly loved and was dedicated to her husband and family, and her church, Immanuel Moravian.  She and Clyde raised their children on Sink Street and she lived there until recently, when she moved to Trinity Elms Assisted Living.  She and Clyde were married at Immanuel Moravian Church in 1945.  She found much joy in serving as a diener. 

Her children were Margaret’s pride and joy and she was a dedicated homemaker.  She also enjoyed working outside the home.  Once the children were in school, she worked part-time for Margaret Ernstes as a door-to-door market researcher, and later at Forsyth Tech as a secretary in the continuing education department until retiring at the age of 71 in 1997.  She was a member of the Sunwaugh Woman’s Club.  She was a talented, self-taught seamstress and made clothes for herself and family.  She enjoyed creating needlepoint pieces and quilts, ceramics and knitting. She and Clyde enjoyed square dancing, camping as a family and fishing at the beach.

Margaret enjoyed seeing her extended family members each year at the Hunt Reunion and the Gordon ‘Get-togethers’, where she would share memories and catch up on the latest family news.

The Gordon family will receive friends at Hayworth-Miller Funeral Home at 3315 Silas Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Sunday, July 23 from 5:00-7:00 pm.  Funeral services will be held at Konnoak Hills Moravian Church on Monday, July 24, at 11:00 am followed by a graveside service in God’s Acre, Old Salem.

The family wants to thank the staff and caregivers at Trinity Elms Rehabilitation and Assisted Living for the compassionate care given to our mother.  We are also grateful for Gary and Betty Lewis and Phyllis Rosner for their kind attention to mother when we couldn’t be there.  Donations in Mrs. Gordon’s memory may be made to Konnoak Hills Moravian Church, 3401 Konnoak Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27127.