Dorothy “Dottie” Adelaide Gustason passed on May 13, 2017 in the comfort of her home, surrounded by family. She had lived a long and satisfying life just two months’ shy of her 97TH birth of July 12, 1920. She had been married sixty-two years to her deceased husband, Bertram Gustason whom she met in Miami, Florida where his family owned a small dairy farm.
Dottie retired from the Dade County School System where she worked as the lead secretary at Leisure City School. Upon retiring in 1978, she and Bert moved to Culberson, North Carolina to live beside their son’s family.
She had been a long-time member of Ranger United Methodist Church for which she faithfully baked communion bread. She was also the Murphy Civitan Woman of the year in 1989 and 1991-1992.
She was preceded in death by Bertram in 2002, by her only sibling Nancy Serwanski, and beloved sister-in-law Elizabeth Knowles.
She is survived by one daughter, Patricia Hardee and one son, Kenneth Gustason and wife Clara Gustason, all of Culberson, NC. Dottie was blessed with four grandchildren: Jeffrey Gustason of Blairsville, GA, Tara Gustason Scholtz of Asheville, NC, Greg Hardee of Palm Beach, FL and Angela Hardee of Port Orange, FL.
There are eight great-grandchildren: Morgan Scholtz, Kelsie Gustason, Jessica Hardee, Kyler Gustason, Larson Scholtz, Katie Fisher, and Dillon and Gavin Fisher; and two nephews and one niece.
The family is thankful that Dottie still had an alert and active mind with a sense-of-humor until her passing. She will be greatly missed by her family and dog, Callie.
Funeral services will be held at 2 PM, Thursday, May 18, 2017 at the Ranger United Methodist Church where Rev. Tim Lee will officiate. Burial will be at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Peachtree. Pallbearers will be: Jeff Gustason, Mark Scholtz, Kyler Gustason, Larson Scholtz, Wayne Manning, Todd Serwanski, Johnny Floyd and Tom Banks. Honorary pallbearers will be Gavin and Dillon Fisher.
The family will receive friends from 1-2 PM, Thursday, May 18, 2017 at the Ranger United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 or Shriners Hospital for Children, 950 West Faris Road, Greenville, SC 29605.
Townson-Rose Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
You may send tributes to the family at
www.townson-rose.com
Sheridan Harley Dockery 
