Julia Doris Harris Stafford Hayes
Julia Doris Harris Stafford Hayes, 95, passed away Tuesday, June 12, 2018 at her residence in Royal Oaks.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Theo and Emma Mae Harris of Bowman, Ga.; first husband, George C. Stafford of 44 years; loving son, Grover Harris Stafford; second husband, F. Doyle Hayes; and stepdaughter, Linda Hayes, all of Dalton.
Doris was born at her home in Bowman, Ga., Elbert County; delivered with help from her grandmother, Ora Moore Mann. She graduated from Bowman High School and the Elberton Business School. Near the end of WWII, she was offered a job in Dalton; later she took the position of secretary for W.L. Manton at North Georgia Electric Membership. She met and married the love of her life, George Stafford. Together, Doris and George took over a small family business, Stafford’s Grocery, and grew it into Stafford’s Super Market, and then into Stafford’s Foodlane located in Stafford’s Shopping Center. Later they opened a second location, Stafford’s Glen Square on Glenwood Ave. They retired and sold the business to their son, Harris Stafford, and moved to Daytona Beach, Fl., where they lived about eight years before returning to Dalton. Doris was an active member of the First Baptist Church and sang in the New Horizons Choir, volunteered as a Gray Lady at HMC, the local PTA, the Pilot Club, and the Lions Club Ladies Auxiliary.
Doris is survived by her brother, Edwin (Margaret) Harris of Holly Hill, S.C.; son, Ralph (Sherri) Stafford; daughter, Elaine (Buddy) King; stepson, Frank (Brenda) Hayes, all of Dalton; grandchildren, Stephanie (Jason) Reynolds, Greg (Ashley) Stafford, Austin (Janet) King, Hollie (Adrian) Bryant, all of Dalton, Amanda (Josh) Burris of San Antonio, Tx. and Zach (Sadler) Stafford of Atlanta; great-grandchildren, Ryan Parker Stafford, Jaxon Stafford, Davison Reynolds, Dori Reynolds, Delaney Reynolds, Hadley King, Hudson King, Landon Bryant, Henley Bryant, Levi Hayes, all of Dalton, Waylon Stafford of Atlanta, and Cortland Burris of San Antonio, Tx.; and nieces and nephews.
The family would like to give special thanks to our caregivers, Frieda Robinson, Dee Ridley, Bea McDonald, Billie York, Jacelyn Reap and to Hamilton Hospice for their care of Doris.
Services will be Friday at 2 p.m. in the chapel of Dalton First Baptist Church with Rev. Jonathan Barlow and Rev. Phillip Cannon officiating.
Entombment will be in Whitfield Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends in the atrium of the church on Friday from noon until the service at 2 p.m.
The family requests that flowers be omitted and memorials be made to Dalton First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 827, Dalton, GA. 30722-0827.
Words of comfort may be sent to the family at www.lovefuneralhomega.com.
Love Funeral Home, 706-278-3313.