Margaret Jeanette Nichols Haggard, 79, was born March 1, 1940, in Randolph County, Alabama. When she was in about ninth grade, her parents purchased a farm in the Ephesus Community of Heard County, not far from where she was born. She spent the remainder of her growing-up years there, graduating from Heard County High School. After two years at Berry College in Rome, she worked in Birmingham, Alabama. She and her cousin, Ruth, then moved to Atlanta where she worked for Georgia Power Company. Soon after, she met the love of her life, Sid Haggard, since their apartment buildings were adjacent. In February 1962, they were married in a private service in Ringgold. That union produced three outstanding children, Nick, Stephen, and Paula.
Jeanette gave a lot, but the biggest thing was her love. She loved (and worried about) her children and grandchildren. You did not have to be with her long before you heard the stories – Nick preaching or playing the French horn with members of the National Symphony; Stephen graduating from the Air Force Academy and flying over Iraq in his F-16; Paula singing with the Chantilly Show Choir and being the outstanding student in graduate school; Josh graduating from Navy OCS; Michele becoming Sister Merciful Love; and on and on and on. And she has already started with the stories about Eleanor Jeanette Hyde, her first great-grandchild. Unfortunately, she will not get to experience her Great Grandma Haggard playing the piano or eating her fried pies.
Jeanette died June 25, 2019. She was predeceased by her parents, Glover and Pauline (Yarbrough) Nichols; her son, Nick; and her brother, Milford. Those left to cherish her memories include her husband of 57 years, Sid; her children, Stephen (Maeve) Haggard and Paula Bechtler; daughter-in-law, Phyllis Johnson (Brad); grandchildren, Angela Haggard, Sister Merciful Love, Stephen Haggard, Joshua Hyde (Katrina), Sarah Haggard, CJ Bechtler, and Ben Bechtler; great-granddaughter, Eleanor Jeanette Hyde; and fur-child, Daisy.
The family will receive guests at Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home, 1215 Access Road, in Covington, from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 27. A funeral service will be held at the Covington First Baptist Church, at 11 a.m. Friday, June 28, with Dr. Cody McNutt and Rev. Len Strozier officiating. Flowers are welcome or donations may be made to Winship Cancer Institute, Office of Gift Accounting, Emory University, 1762 Clifton Road, Suite 1400, MS: 0970-001-8AA, Atlanta, GA 30322 or online at www.emory.edu/give.
