Margaret Fields Shelton, just hours shy of her 98th birthday, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Born Margaret Jacqueline Fields on May 21, 1928, in Danville, Virginia, she was the cherished daughter of the late Anne Hudgins Fields and Louie Arnold Fields Sr.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Gus B. Shelton Jr., and her brother, Louie Fields.
Survivors include her son, Gus B. Shelton III (Suzanne); her daughter, Vanessa Shelton Stolen (David); grandchildren Sydney Shelton Mick (Trevor), Gus Shelton (Elizabeth), Wesley Stolen and Taylor Stolen.
She was a devoted member of First Baptist Church of Hamlet and the Williamson Bible Class. Cooking was her love language, and she found joy in preparing meals for family and friends. She worked in retail at Gaddy’s in Rockingham and later at Proud Mary’s in Hamlet alongside her dear friend, Sweetie. She also cared for children in her in-home daycare, giving working parents comfort in knowing their little ones were safe, loved, and tenderly cared for. Many of those children remained close to her for years, some through high school and beyond.
A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026 at 2 p.m. at Watson-King Funeral Home Chapel in Hamlet, North Carolina, with Dr. Allison Farrah officiating.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, Hamlet (fbchamlet.org/give), or to Via Health Partners/Hospice of Charlotte (viagiving.org/donating).
Watson-King Funeral Home of Hamlet is serving the Shelton family.
