On July 4, 1923, my beloved grandmother was born. As a child she thought everyone was celebrating her birthday as fireworks were set off. She passed away in March at 91 years old. She is missed so greatly, not a week goes by that Laney doesn’t say to me that she wishes G.G. was still alive. And it means so much that she knew the great-grandma she was named after and that she felt a special connection to her. 
Dorothy Mae with Magdalena Mae
She oozed love and maternal-ness. (My Nana and I in 1977.)
She taught me how to make a bed and set the table and taught me so many things about cooking and making pies.
This is what I wrote to include in the bulletin for her funeral:
Dorothy Mae Castle Fallin, 91, of Heathsville, VA, passed into eternity on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at Rappahannock General Hospital in Kilmarnock, VA with her son and grandchildren by her side.
Dot, as she was lovingly called, was a faithful wife to Roland for 53 years, a beloved mother to Michael and Susan, a cherished Nana to Jason and Tara, and a treasured G.G. to Malachi, Elijah, Ezekiel, Orion, Madeleine, and Magdalena.
She will be remembered for her joyful laugh, lovely singing voice, and dancing feet. Her laughter could fill a room, whether she was telling a joke or laughing at episodes of “I Love Lucy”. She was a soprano in the church choir for at least 15 years, singing many solos for their services. She did a mean jitterbug as a young adult and would gladly show off her dancing moves well into her 80’s.
Visual arts were her specialty. She could draw, paint, sew, and crochet. Many gifts of her handiwork have been enjoyed by her family and friends through the years. Hungry bellies always looked forward to her cooking. Her lasagna, crab cakes, pork chops, fudge sauce, and many pies were among the favorites.
She was always up for a challenge, like learning to drive for the first time while in her 40’s or with a friend, daring to stomp grapes to get the juice to make wine.
She was very active and social, participating in political meetings, going to group luncheons, and sharing crocheting, sewing, and cooking activities with friends.
Dot’s green thumb for flowers and Roland’s green thumb for vegetables meant their front and back yard always looked amazing and the basement shelves were full of her canned vegetables. Their flowers and vegetables attracted lots of attention. She could tell you about every deer, blue heron, duck or bird that visited their yard. With a giggle, she’d share stories of the otters, hummingbirds and squirrels’ antics.
Her grandchildren will always hold on to the wonderful memories of spending many weeks during their summer vacation down in the country. Swimming with their Nana at the pool, playing games of Uno and Scrabble, and their many road trips around the United States are among their favorites.
Tragedy and pain went hand-in-hand with her happy and full life. The unexpected death of her college-aged daughter was an unbearable burden, but Dot found strength to carry on with the help of her family, friends, and faith. As she aged, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and with her family, friends, and faith by her side, beat it. As she beat her cancer, her husband’s worsened and she cared for him until he lost his battle.
She was brave, compassionate, generous, loving and kind. The love she showed to her family and friends will be felt for generations to come.
These are her pieces of handiwork that we treasure oh so dearly, five crocheted afghans and four crocheted animals.
The chevron baby blanket she made my first year of marriage in 1999, she wanted me to put it away to keep for her great-grandbaby, just in case she had already passed on before she met him/her. (She knew all 6 of her great-grandkids, and got to hug and love them!)
My Pop-pop passed away in 2000, well before any great-grandbabies were born, but she made sure to keep one of his flannel shirts that he wore to work out in the yard and she used it as the kerchief for this little piggy.
She made this afghan for me in 1992.
This is the baby blanket she made for Malachi, she didn’t use a pattern, she made up this teddy bear design herself.
And that little crocheted dress was mine. My mom kept it all these years and just passed it on to me last summer. It fits Laney perfectly right now, and she wore it to the services for my Nana.
She is greatly missed and thought of daily. And with all these special thoughts and memories her favorite hymn is what gives me the greatest comfort:
In the Garden by Charles A. Miles
Verse #1
I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses,
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
Verse #2
He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me,
Within my heart is ringing.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
Verse #3
I’d stay in the garden with Him,
Tho’ the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go, thro’ the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
the view finder by tsdg 