(1928 – 1992)
Margie Dean Duncan was once described as the best secretary any county agent’s office in the U.S. could possibly have. That is quite a commendation for the young lady who started work in her home county Extension Office in Carrollton right out of business school in 1947. After six years, she transferred over to Tuscaloosa County as the Extension Secretary. Her career with that office spanned thirty years. She was “dedicated, reliable and pleasant to work with — and very, very loyal to the Alabama Extension Service,” according to a past coworker. She was always ready to help others — coworkers, neighbors, friends, the public — in any way she could, and never too busy to lend a helping hand. Other statements about her include the fact that she always tried to meet the requests of the public, either by telephone or in the office, viewing her job as an extension of the county agent’s.
Miss Duncan served through several Extension directors and County Extension Chairmen, her loyalty and dependability never questioned. Another trait not questioned was the sincerity of her smile. “A special memory I hold of ‘Deanie’ Duncan is that of her smiling face and her willingness to help you when you walked into her office,” a quote from a member of the Tuscaloosa County Extension Homemakers Council.
She retired from her position as secretary in the Tuscaloosa County office in 1983.
Margie Duncan was born in Carrollton, Alabama, and lived there through high school graduation. After attending the Birmingham Business College, she began her career as a secretary for the Cooperative Extension Service in 1947. Although never married, Margie maintained close family ties, often visiting her mother and father in Carrollton while they were living. Later, when her sister Orline came to live with her, they would often go to Carrollton to help their brother with his gardening, canning, and freezing food.
Death came too soon as Margie was killed in an automobile accident on April 26, 1992. She is survived by three brothers, John W. Duncan of Tuscaloosa, Harold D. Duncan of Northport, and Hubert R. Duncan of Carrollton, as well as her sister Orline Prescott of Tuscaloosa.
In tribute to her years of devoted service to the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, the name of Margie Dean Duncan is inscribed on the dedicatory plaque of the Extension Memorial Chapel.
Chapel Plaque Inscription Number: 329
