Dolly Myrtle Stevens' Obituary
Mrs. Dolly Myrtle Washington Stevens was born July 23, 1940 in Hollywood Alabama to Claude Washington Sr. and Leolar Upshaw Washington. She was one of thirteen children, six daughters and seven sons. Dolly was preceded in death by her son, James David Stevens Jr; sisters Susette Washington and Imogene Kelly and brothers William, Rueben, Floyd, John Pat and Claude Jr. Washington.
Dolly confessed Christ at an early age at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Hollywood, Alabama. As an adult she moved to Stevenson, Alabama and united with St. Paul United Methodist Church where she was a faithful member and also brought up her five children in the nurturing and admonition of the Lord. Later in life after retirement Dolly moved her membership back to her home church, Mt. Zion M. B., where she worshiped until her health failed.
An early achiever, Dolly was an outstanding student. She attended elementary school at the Hollywood Colored School where Mrs. C. Taylor was her first grade teacher and Mrs. Mary E. Hunter was her principal. She brought a spirit of excellence to her studies at George Washington Carver High School (the only high school available to Negro students in Jackson County at the time) in Scottsboro, Alabama where the late Professor Thomas E. Weatherly was her principal. She earned her high school diploma with honors in 1958. She attended and earned her cosmetology license from The Madam C. J. Walker Beauty School in Chattanooga, Tennessee and operated a beauty shop for many years before going back to school at Joseph F. Drake Technical School in Huntsville, Alabama to earn her nursing degree. For many years she practiced nursing at South Pittsburg Municipal Hospital, later retiring from Grandview Medical Center in Jasper, Tennessee.
Dolly had several passions and lived her life in service to her family, nursing career, community and church. In her faith she was constant and committed, formidable yet caring in her professional life and with her family, both natural and “adopted,” she was a nurturer and an encourager, mentor and friend, and when needed, a trusted confidante and a surrogate mother. She loved her family. For years she was the principle organizer for the Washington-Upshaw Family Reunions and each year she hosted at her home the Annual “Aunt Dolly” Family Easter Egg Hunt Celebration.
Her community also received a great deal of Dolly’s efforts over her lifetime. From her church to community youth and charitable organizations, she worked selflessly and tirelessly to make life better for others. She served in many positions in her church, the NAACP, the Voters League and other organizations.
Dolly loved to travel and took great pleasure in visiting relatives in New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Oregon and California among other places. She loved to visit Detroit to see Aunt Clyde and Uncle Earl, cousins Barnell Upshaw and Becky Simpson, Christine Love, Bob and Katherine Gilbreath, Ethel Harris and Shirley Stewart and uncles and aunts Odessa, Bill, Herman, Homer and Ruben Upshaw, among many others. In 1998 Dolly took a trip of a lifetime with her brother Herman to visit Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. She loved visiting the Motherland!
Dolly was an avid shopper and an excellent cook. We all loved her famous homemade biscuits, peach cobbler, and her Rum and German Chocolate cakes. Each year everyone looked forward to seeing what she would get us for Christmas. She didn’t forget anyone from family to friends to co-workers and always had extra gifts stashed just in case someone unexpected stopped by.
Dolly leaves a legacy of love to be carried on and many happy memories to be cherished by her daughters: Loretta (James) Tolliver of Scottsboro, Alabama, Sherry Stevens and Rita Chaney of Stevenson Alabama and Angela Johnson of Chattanooga, Tennessee; Grandchildren: Christopher Tenea, Kristen, Rashad, Troshana, Larosha, David, & Julian. Great Grand Children: Christopher Jr.(Katelyn), Parris, Taylor, Maliyah, Jason, Drake, Malaysia Jaiana, Avah, Camden, MaHalie, MaKalie & Emerie; Sisters: Mary McGhee & Janet McCamey of Hollywood, Alabama, Ella F (Gus). Winston of Chickamauga, Georgia, Brothers: Homer H. (Jo) Washington, Sierra Vista, Arizona and Dr. Herman A. Washington, Hollywood, Alabama; Sisters-in-law: Geneva Washington, Rantoul, Illinois; Loraine Spencer, Nashville Tennessee, Clara Bynum, Birmingham, Alabama, Leona (Frank) Cobb, Betty Stevens, Idella Stevens, Joyce Stevens and Gudrun Stevens all of Stevenson, Alabama and Virean Moore of Huntsville, Alabama; brothers in law: Wilfort Stevens of Huntsville, Alabama, Irvin & Jeremiah Stevens of Stevenson, Alabama, also a great host of “special” nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends all of whom she made feel like they were loved and one of her Favorites!!
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