Dola J. Garland

Dola J. Garland, 87, passed away on March 3, 2024, at Continuing Healthcare of Niles. She was born on Oct. 22, 1936, in Hardin County, Tennessee, the daughter of Doyle and Rilla Curtis Riddle.

The Riddles moved to Warren when she was a young girl and it was there that she would meet the love of her life, Clyde Garland, whom she married on Oct. 25, 1952. A retiree from Republic Steel and veteran who served in the Korean War, he died in 2017.

Dola was a homemaker for most of her adult life, raising five children on a farm in Braceville Township. Later in life, she drove a van for the Trumbull County SCOPE program and treasured her memories of transporting seniors to events and functions.

She worked beside her husband to provide for the family, with the children pitching in as they came of age. There were gardens to be planted, crops to harvest, beans and tomatoes to can and animals to tend to -- chickens, hogs and cattle. At one point, and unusual for a middle-aged woman for the times, she found herself driving a dump truck loaded with gravel or fill dirt as part of her steelworker husband's side business.

The old farmhouse had interior stairways on opposite sides of the dwelling and she was known for chasing kids who acted up with a broom in hand, or slippers at the ready to toss their way as they fled upstairs. As often as not, she'd be waiting when they reappeared on the other side. It became something of a game, with a lot of laughter.

There is a photo of her on a minibike in her 60s happily racing along a grassy field next to a pond at the farm, Canada geese scrambling to get out of the way. In her teens, she was the head-turning queen of the local skating rink, proud of the skating skirt that she had made herself.

She and Clyde were 'snowbirds' following his retirement and they resided in Florida during the winter months for many years. He loved to sing, and they went to karaoke frequently. They enjoyed traveling together and spending time with family, especially visits with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

Dola is survived by her five children, Gregory of Broussard, LA; Pam Myers of Warren; Laura Loy of Leavittsburg; Dona Webster of Boston, MA; and Susan Mixell (George) of Ringgold, GA, along with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a sister, Willa Vincent, of Liberty, who was with her in her final hours. Her difficult last months were eased with the loving care and attention provided by a niece, Tami DeGraw, a long-term caregiver.

Arrangements are entrusted to Lane Family Funeral Homes, Roberts Clark Chapel in Warren.

Family and friends may send their heartfelt condolences by visiting www.lanefuneralhomes.com