Maggie Thomas Mueller

November 27, 2017. She was born in New Orleans to Jessie and William Thomas on August 31,

1926, and grew up on a small family farm in central Mississippi. Mrs. Mueller worked her way

through Mississippi State College for Women with on-campus jobs during the school year, and

as a tacker at Ingalls Shipyard during the summers. As she recalled, Ingalls preferred long-term

employees, and every May when she applied for work, the woman taking her application asked

her if she would be going to school in the fall. Each time, she truthfully responded, "No, I don't

have the money," and each August, when she gave notice for leaving her job to the same

person, she explained, "Now I have the money." The third time she came to apply, the woman

looked up, smiled, and said, "Honey, when do you graduate?"

After earning her bachelors degree in chemistry, Mrs. Mueller spent a brief period teaching

school in Escatawpa, Mississippi before moving to Memphis with her mother. She was hired by

Buckeye Cellulose, a division of Proctor & Gamble, to work in the laboratory of Dr. William A.

Mueller, whom she eventually married. She always said she knew she was being courted when

Dr. Mueller encouraged her to take calculus and offered to help her with her homework.

Mrs. Mueller was a loving wife and mother, and a faithful friend. She was devoted to her family

and to the time-tested values of faith, honesty, hard work, and education. She is survived by her

son and his wife, William T. Mueller and Leslie Bloom, and their daughter Jessie Leah Mueller;

by her daughter and her husband, Peggy M. Borrer and Jerry L. Borrer, and their children

William Alex Borrer and Marjorie Fina Borrer; by her sister, Ms. Bert Thomas; and by her

Godfamily, Joel and Jusina Muñoz, and their children, Joel and Daniel.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Humane Society of

Memphis and Shelby County, or to the ASPCA.