Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher has always loved people and knew she would someday have a job that served the public. Born in Blythewood, Fisher grew up in Columbia, where she attended Eau Claire High School. She moved to Lexington at twenty-two, became a permanent resident, and never looked back.
Fisher describes herself as a workaholic. As a young mother of two, she was working four jobs when she decided it was time to make some serious career moves. She decided to pursue a nursing degree. She entered Midlands Technical College and earned her Associate in Health Science degree in Nursing. During downtime, while waiting for her clinicals, she also pursued and soon earned an Associate degree in Criminal Justice Technology. She thought she might work in a jail as a nurse, a great way to make use of her dual degrees. That plan did not pan out, but something else was in the works.
Fisher often credits God for placing people in her path to help her along throughout her life. He was about to do just that. She was working for her husband, Clifford, running a tractor and his office at Owens Fisher Construction, when God came along with the perfect plan. When her friend, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, asked if she would be a reserve deputy for him, she fell in love with the job, going full-time a year after graduating from the reserve program.
Fisher decided to run for and was elected as coroner in November of 2014 after longtime Lexington County Coroner Harry Harmon died. Nine years later she is just as happy as the day she started. She gives God credit for supporting her and giving her a nurturing, supportive, and loving staff as well as the right words to say to families. She says, “I am now working my dream job. It is the most rewarding and exciting job.”
Fisher’s job includes conducting investigations and performing autopsies. She adds, “But the most important part of this job is taking care of families who are going through the worst times in their lives. There is not much that can happen to you worse than losing somebody that you love. Especially children, or your spouse that you have been with forever,” she says.
“Answering their phone calls, their questions, and making sure they know who, when, and where to turn to is the most important part of the job. The words we say, the actions that we choose, and the questions we ask will affect them for the rest of their lives. You have to love people and you have to love what you do. If it does not affect your heart, you are probably not the right person to do this kind of job.”
Fisher says husband Clifford’s unwavering support is the reason she can do her challenging job, and above all, to be there to help others. She did not know how she would serve others someday, but our Lexington community is fortunate that she found her calling here.
The Fishers are members of Northside Baptist Church in Lexington. They are the parents of Clifford, IV., Timothy, Tiffany, and Justin, and the couple especially enjoys spending time with their five grandchildren.