The older part of the "hospice house," built c. 1849, served as a manse and girls' school long before it became "the Hospice house." Miss Margaret Harper owned the home and carriage house when it was donated by her to the First Presbyterian Church of Lenoir and subsequently leased to Hospice for one dollar a year. We owe the Harper family—and many others—appreciation for helping to establish the first free-standing hospice unit in the state and one of the first in the nation.

I had the great privilege of being Miss Margaret’s physician and friend. I enjoyed visiting her often. Frequently, I would take my small children with me (they enjoyed riding the chair elevator, necessary as her health deteriorated), while Miss Margaret and I enjoyed our visit. She had a fire going in the fireplace whenever weather allowed. The smell of oak burning and the cords of wood on the side porch added to the old home's charm. She told stories of false paneling and floors where valuables were hidden during the Civil War. Her stray German Shepherd, Mike, quietly guarded her, standing between Miss Margaret and those who visited. I never heard him bark or growl, but neither did I give him a reason to do so!

Miss Margaret was a delightful and interesting individual. She had been a commercial artist in New York; when she was home in Lenoir, she used the upstairs of the carriage house as her studio. At that time, the back wall had a large bank of windows, with a beautiful view of the mountains. Very articulate, Miss Margaret also wrote many interesting stories and newspaper articles. I recall the little desk at which she sat; it was situated where she could look out the window at birds, squirrels, and her beloved old oak trees. If you come by Kirkwood, you’ll notice in the pantry on the way to the family kitchen the special cage where she kept her sick animals, as she nursed them back to health.

One episode I remember well, which helps depict Miss Margaret's character, took place when I visited her during one of her hospitalizations at Caldwell Memorial Hospital. My son Chris, four at the time, was with me, and I took him to the ICU and asked the nurse to watch him while I checked on Miss Margaret. The next thing I knew, he was in the room at her bedside. Miss Margaret had multiple IVs, monitors, oxygen, etc. attached to her. Chris looked at her and said, "Miss Harper, you look like you're going to die." She laughed and said, "Well, I finally got an honest consult." That was Miss Margaret—very direct and honest, with a humorous view. After my initial embarrassment, we joked about this for many months.

So many memories of Miss Margaret are lodged in this old home. I'm reminded of them daily, as I see her portrait above the living room mantle. The contributions she and her family made to Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, and her service to the community, will be remembered for generations to come.

Miss Margaret, we thank you and miss you.