Margaret Louise Knowles

Margaret Louise Knowles was a person of great faith who believed in the admonition that "The Lord has done great things for our family, and our hearts are filled with joy." Family was the most rewarding part of her long life of 96 years. She was the first to remind you that she had outlived all her family! Louise was born on June 23, 1929, in Atlanta Georgia to the late Thomas Hamilton Vickery, Sr., and Robbie Burnham Vickery. Her parents met while Robbie was working at the Sargent textile mill. He was a painting contractor working in the mill where she tended her looms. He would entertain her by swinging from the steam pipes in the ceiling of the work area. She was the second of four children born to their family. She was predeceased by her siblings, Dorothy, Katherine, and Tom, Jr. After her family moved to Newnan from Atlanta, Louise graduated high school and had a variety of jobs including working at the five and dime store, and the local movie houses (there were two back then). The movie theater was where her heart was stolen by a golden-haired dandy from Hogansville Georgia named James Wallace Knowles. Mr. Vickery operated a barbeque "joint" as they were called back then. By his own admission, James worked over 70 hours a week. One might suppose that when you are smitten by the boss' daughter, time flies. When Louise and James married, little could the Woolworth's clerk fathom the course for her life would include living in South Carolina, Louisiana, Tehran Iran, Canada, and Colorado. James was a brilliant self-taught engineer who teamed up with a brilliant entrepreneur who was involved in the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company. Louise would have followed James to the moon, so profound was her love for and her faith in James Knowles. Eventually, their life would bring them back to Newnan. Louise enjoyed retail and was a valued employee of Bruner's Department Store. Always wanting to improve her life, she grasped an opportunity to work in the new (at that time) Coweta General Hospital. Carroll Technical College was offering a nursing program, and she signed up and in no time earned a position as an LPN at the hospital. She eventually worked in the hospital pharmacy and enjoyed interacting with her patients as she delivered their meds to them. She made friendships that would last a lifetime. Her nursing background would become more important to her as she helped manage the health of her parents and her beloved husband James. She was all in for these family members and added huge doses of love with every medication or treatment she provided. She would never really know how much her servant spirit would be appreciated by those for whom she cared. The brightest star in Louise's life would be the birth of her precious daughter, Terry. They were never far apart as they both worked in the same hospital where Terry was a registered nurse and her son-in-law George worked as a respiratory therapist. As the years passed Terry's children would become the perfect grandchildren and would bring into being the perfect great grandchildren. She savored all their time together. James' death in 1998 created a large void in Louise's life so she focused all that love on Terry and her husband George, their children, and grandchildren. Louise loved her family, her brother, sisters and all the nieces and nephews. Psalm 126:3 expresses her sentiments so well. "The Lord has done great things for our family, and our hearts are filled with joy." Louise is survived by her daughter Terry and her husband George, her grandchildren, Jennifer Amy Nelms Montano, Taylor, and wife Mallory Nelms. She was a doting great grandmother to Lee, Brendan, and Sean Chestnut. There is also a large extended family of cousins, nieces, and nephews, and all the Burnhams who ever lived in Coweta County. Louise's family extends an invitation to all to join them in honoring the life of this good woman as they gather on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at McKoon Funeral Home at 38 Jackson Street for a time of remembrance and visitation beginning at 12:30 PM. There will be a graveside service at 2:00 PM at Forest Lawn Memorial Park as she is placed beside her beloved James and near her parents' resting places. Matthew 5:12 reveals "Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven." Louise Vickery Knowles believed this with all her heart. Her life came full circle, and she has claimed that reward. Amen. McKoon Funeral Home and Crematory www.mckoon.com 770-253-4580.

Margaret Louise Knowles

June 23, 1929 - December 5, 2025