May Graul Dodd

Mrs. May Graul Dodd, 85, of Blairsville, Ga., died Saturday, February 2, 2008 at Stonehenge Assisted Living in Blairsville.

May was born January 16, 1923 in Philadelphia, Pa., and grew up in Arlington, Va. For over 40 years she lived in Atlanta, where she was a homemaker, Girl Scout Leader, Red Cross Instructor, Member/Pilot with Civil Air Patrol, and active member of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, and later Christ Our Hope Lutheran Church in Riverdale. From 1965 to 1985, she worked part-time in various administrative positions in Atlanta, retiring in 1985.

After moving to Wesley Mountain Village in Blairsville in 1989, May was an active member of the community: she founded a Kazoo Band, sang in the choir of First United Methodist Church, was a founding member of The Mountain High Hikers Club, volunteered with Union County Literacy Action, Humane Society's Mountain Shelter, a charter member of Institute for Continuing Learning at Young Harris College, and served as an Elder of Mountain Presbyterian Church. During 2007, she moved to Stonehenge Assisted Living, where she lived happily and died peacefully, after a brief illness.

May Dodd is survived by daughter, Donna Curtiss Shearer; son, Happy Curtiss; grandchildren, Sarah Couch Piland, Abbey Couch Giordano and Laura Couch Boling; great grandchildren, Maren Piland, Jake Boling, Kelly Boling and Sadie Boling; step-children: Chick Dodd, Christine Dodd Puckett, Barbara Dodd Broome and Mark Dodd; stepgrandchildren, Jonathan Dodd, Anna Dodd, Ben Puckett, Rob Puckett, and David Broome; brothers, Herbert Graul and Henry Graul; sister-in-law, Mary Curtiss Bales; nieces and nephews, Betty Bales Arehart, Peggy Bales Daniels, Judy Bales Belcher, Cindy Graul Whitehead, Cathy Graul Baker, Doug Graul, Timothy Graul, Bob Graul and Jim Graul.

A Service of Celebration was held Thursday, February 7, 2008, at Mountain Presbyterian Church in Blairsville at 11 a.m., with Pastor Travis Adams officiating. A reception followed at the church.

The family has requested no flowers; instead, memorials may be made to your choice: Mountain Presbyterian Church, 2945 Young Harris Highway, Blairsville, Georgia 30512; or to The Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, Illinois 60601- 7633.

Cochran Funeral Home and Crematory in charge of arrangements. Please sign the guest registry and send condolences to the family at our website: www.cochranfuneralhomes. com