"My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference."
---President Jimmy Carter
Many local lives were lamentably lost in late 2024 - enough to make the angels weep. And among those who succumbed was my mother's dear friend Margaret Ann Corkern Seal who passed away at the age of eighty-eight on December 11 late last year.
The daughter of John and Viola Corkern, she was born in Amite, Louisiana, where she grew up with seven siblings. I recently learned that as a child, Margaret was nicknamed "Squirmy" by her oldest sister. This moniker apparently remained with her for life for the reason that she could not hold still. While unaware of the nickname during my youth --- I called her Ms. Margaret --- I recollect her having a spring in her step. Ebullient, she was full of life and fun to be around. Many a day and season, Ms. Margaret joined my mother for coffee at my childhood home down on the Enon Road. Awash in memories, I well remember Momma looking forward to their visits.
But long before I knew her, Margaret Ann Corkern had graduated from Amite High School and had worked in retail in her hometown of Amite. And she became acquainted with her sweetheart John George Seal (1936 - 2014), the son of Samuel Wilton Seal and Beatrice Spinks Seal. The couple wed on October 23, 1959, and enjoyed an abundant, wonderful life together. Married for fifty-five years before his passing in 2014, the couple had three children - George Donald Seal of Franklinton, Jan Seal Kaiser (Victor) of Cypress, Texas, and Jason Bradley Seal (1961-2006). Notably, Jan and I were close in age. She attended Oak Forest Academy while I went to Bowling Green. Unlike yours truly, Jan was a spectacular basketball player.
With a strong work ethic, Ms. Margaret and Mr. John had a large dairy on their pastoral property, and he was also a cattleman, dealing in bulls and cattle. Dairying made a good life for many in the Florida Parishes back in that day; much success was derived from local dairy farms. While this remains the case today for some, the farms have dwindled in number over the years, especially in the last couple decades. As I have made mention of heretofore, I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s with friends whose families owned and operated dairy farms that flourished all over our region. For most, the enterprise was a family affair, with everyone pitching in on the sprawling farm, as I imagine it was for the Seals.
And their faith was always at the forefront. Mrs. Margaret was very active in Canaan Baptist Church where she was a member for more than six decades, serving as the church secretary for over thirty-five years. Both she and Mr. John enjoyed sharing their love of Jesus. Just as the late President Carter described, the Seals did all they could, wherever they could, whenever they could, for as long as they could, to make a difference. And I can say with certitude that they made a difference in Tangipahoa and Washington Parishes.
While Mr. John enjoyed playing the guitar, with affinity for the music of George Jones, Ms. Margaret was passionate about gardening, cooking for her beloved family, and cheering for the LSU Tigers and New Orleans Saints. I imagine the fact that Mr. John was a former football player may have contributed to her passion for the sport, that and her grandson Bradley Seal who coaches the Pine High School Raiders. Reportedly, the devoted grandmother always required up-to-the-minute reports on the Raiders.
But it's always later than we think. Laid to rest with her husband and son in Canaan Baptist Church Cemetery, Ms. Margaret left a large family to mourn her loss and treasure her memory, including children George Donald Seal and Jan Seal Kaiser (Victor); grandchildren Bradley Wallace Seal (Kristina), Jason Scott Seal (Haley), George Dillon Seal, Macie Goings (Robert), Dalton Lee Kaiser (McKinley), Stephanie Kaiser, and Benjamin Kaiser; and great-grandchildren Miles Seal, Jett Seal, Mila Seal, Eva Seal, Berkley Goings, Callen Goings, Stella Seal, Greta Kaiser, Stephanie Kaiser, Abraham Kaiser, and Everlie Miller.
And Ms. Margaret, who was nice as pie, also left a legion of friends. One only had to meet Ms. Margaret to appreciate and admire her. I count myself lucky to have been in that number, many moons ago during my youth.
Ms. Margaret's kindness and her genuine nature made an impact on me, leaving an indelible impression. She had a way of welcoming everyone in --- perhaps this explains why numerous children called her Maw Maw over the years.
I was reminded of Ms. Margaret when I read what Emily Dickinson wrote, "They might not need me; but they might. I'll let my head be just in sight; a smile as small as mine might be precisely their necessity." And I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know her, all those years ago.
