Elizabeth Marley

Elizabeth "Libby" Cargo Marley née Elizabeth Louise Cargo was born July 18, 1952 in Marine City, Michigan and passed March 24, 2020 in Franklin, Tennessee at the age of 67.

Libby's father was a Methodist minister. His ministry required the family of seven to move often, so Libby began her high school education at Caro High School in Caro, Michigan and finished at Plymouth High School in Canton, Michigan where she was salutatorian. The Cargo family would often return in the summers to the Cabin in College Grove, Tennessee that had been in the family for many generations. Because of these summers, Libby has said that she regarded Tennessee as her true home. Libby's family, the Hatchers, in College Grove kept horses and ponies. She was a life-long equestrienne. The family was musical, and Libby was no exception. She was an accomplished classical singer and played several instruments, including the piano, guitar, and dulcimer.

A creative, gifted student and musician, Libby attended the prestigious Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts where she majored in English and frequently sang in the classical style. While she was still at college, her father died. Afterwards, her mother returned to school and eventually became ordained as a Methodist minister as her husband had been. Libby was, like her parents, a Christian. She felt the presence of God in nature when she would ride her horses as powerfully as when singing in a choir and would talk of "going to church on horseback."

It was through her equestrianism that Libby met her husband, Joe Burton Marley who she initially hired as a farrier. They met and fell in love the summer after she graduated. After a brief return to Boston, she called Joe and told him that she would come to Tennessee if he came and got her, so he drove up to Massachusetts and brought her back. They were married June 17, 1978 at Wesley Chapel in College Grove.

Their marriage began as an adventure. The couple moved to Justiceberg, Texas where they ran a trading outpost called the "BuckHorn," trained horses and day-worked on ranches. However, they realized Tennessee was their home and moved back to Franklin, Tennessee and settled there. Libby began working at Nissan North America as a secretary and quickly was promoted to buyer. She had a wonderful career in which she took tremendous pride. She rose to Senior Capital Equipment and Facilities buyer. She was instrumental in building Nissan's plants in Smyrna, Tennessee; Deckard, Tennessee; and Canton, Mississippi. Joe became a history teacher at Grassland Middle School and taught there for 26 years. Libby continued singing in the choir at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee and would do guest performances in various churches in the area. She and Joe raised two children.

Libby retired after 30 years at Nissan. She was the 45th person hired by Nissan in North America. Libby spent her last year's gardening, making music, horseback riding, and tending to the beautiful home she and her husband created. She will be missed.

Libby's parents were Reverend Paul Morris Cargo and Reverend Martha Hatcher Cargo, both deceased. She is survived by her husband Joe Burton Marley and two children, Ray Paul Marley and Mary Marley Latham née Mary Elizabeth Marley. Her four siblings, Rachel Melvin née Cargo, William "Bill" Cargo, Sarah "Sally" Burch née Cargo, and Paul Cargo, also survive her as do several nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Services will be arranged at a later date.

Those wishing to honor Libby's memory may donate to Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church (webpage: https://www.facebook.com/WesleyChapelTNUMC/, phone number: 615-368-7565).