Margaret Brown

Margaret Roberta Sheffield Brown Sunrise: August 27, 1928 - Sunset: May 18, 2015 Margaret Brown, affectionately known as “Sistah” to her siblings, was the second child born to Thomas Watt Sheffield and Savannah Vinson Sheffield in their home in Nashville, Tennessee. A dutiful daughter and the “go-to girl” in her East Nashville neighborhood, Sistah was thrust into many responsibilities from an early age. She cared for her younger siblings and neighborhood children, shopped for groceries, cooked meals, managed her father’s concrete masonry business, and completed any task her mother assigned—often for the benefit of others in the community. She made curtains and pajamas, did laundry and hair, and even penned Christmas cards for families on Myrtle Street. Trusted and admired by her neighbors, Sistah was a pillar of her community. Margaret attended Meigs Junior High and graduated from Pearl High School in 1948. After working for a few months, she bought a green convertible Studebaker—becoming the talk of the neighborhood as one of the few young women to own a car. She later attended Tennessee A & I University (now Tennessee State University), where she met her future husband, Robert Marcus Brown, an Army veteran from Cleveland, Tennessee. They married on November 30, 1952, and remained devoted to each other until his passing in July 1993, after 41 years of marriage. Together they raised three daughters: French Brown, Winfrey (Wendy) Brown, and Karseem Johnson. In the late 1950s, Margaret attended Mae Nash’s Beauty School on Lafayette Street and became a licensed cosmetologist, specializing in color. After gaining experience in both Black and white salons, she co-founded Charisma’s House of Beauty on 12th Avenue South with fellow cosmetologists. The salon thrived on camaraderie and laughter, much of it sparked by Margaret’s sharp wit and lively storytelling. Margaret was a firm disciplinarian, both at home and in the salon. She was known for her no-nonsense “mother stink-eye,” which could instantly correct unruly behavior—just ask her daughters! Despite working six days a week, she maintained an immaculate home and taught her daughters to cook, sew, clean, and carry themselves with dignity. She often reminded them that every time they left the house, they represented the family. And then there were the hats. Margaret adored hats and often stayed up late on Saturday nights, making one to wear to church the next morning, always perfectly coordinated with her shoes and handbag. Over her 39 years at Charisma’s House of Beauty, Margaret served three generations of many families. Her clients trusted her honest advice, whether it was about hair color or life. She also taught hygiene and makeup to students at Rose Park Junior High and Cameron High School in the late 1960s and early 1970s. When longtime clients passed away, she would lovingly style their hair and apply their makeup for their final rest. Her legendary shampoos were so soothing that clients often found themselves sharing their deepest secrets. Margaret LOVED music. Her fondest memories were of sitting on the porch with her father, listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio. She loved all kinds of music but developed a special love for country. Margaret bought a piano, hoping to learn to play. She had no musical ability; she could not even hum in tune. All musical genres were welcome in her house. During this service, you will hear her eclectic choices in music. Among her favorites were Eva Cassidy, Patsy Cline, Johnny Mathis, Johnny Cash, Luther Vandross, Natalie Cole, and Tom Jones. Margaret made lifelong friends, many of whom have since passed. The Sheffield family is known for its longevity—her surviving siblings are all 90 years and older. Preceding her in death were her parents, Thomas Watt Sheffield, and Savannah Vinson Sheffield: her husband, Robert Marcus Brown and three siblings: Hazel Sheffield, George Hubbard Sheffield, and William Clyde Sheffield. She is survived by her daughters; French L. Brown, Winfrey (Wendy) E. Brown and Karseem A. Johnson: siblings—Thomas Ramsey Sheffield of Royal Palm Beach, FL; Jimmie Andrew Sheffield of Ruffin, NC; and Gladys Sheffield Richardson of LaVergne, TN—as well as a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, great and great-great-nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers statement. Donations can be made to the K.I.N.D. Fund (Kids In Need of Desks) through UNICEFusa.org in the name of Margaret Sheffield Brown.

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Margaret Brown

August 22, 1928 - May 18, 2025