ELISABETH CULVER ALFORD McLANE

AAFA #0076

1915 GA – 2002 GA

 

 

 

DAILY TIMES

Valdosta, Lowndes Co., GA—Wednesday, 30 October 2002

 

VALDOSTA—Elisabeth Alford McLane, 87, 60-year resident of Valdosta, died at her home on Monday Oct. 28, 2002.

            Born in Milledgeville, on May 3, 1915, she was the daughter of Louise Little and Roy Stephens Alford. Mrs. McLane was a charter member of Park Avenue United Methodist Church. She was a pioneer in the development of special education programs, serving in numerous capacities over 42 years as an educator: She was well known as a florist and wedding consultant. She was associated with Parkwood Developmental Center for many years. Mrs. McLane was a member of the Georgia Retired Educators Association. She was immediate Past President of the Grand Gardeners Club, a member of the Camellia Garden Club and was a Life Member of the Garden Center of Valdosta. She also held memberships with the Colonel Ebenezer Folsom National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Wymodausis Womens Club, and was an honorary member of the Captain James Monroe Briggs United Daughters of the Confederacy.

            Survivors are her sons and daughters-in-law, Larry and Lina Griner, Marshall and Terry McLane, all of Valdosta; grandchildren, John Griner of Boston, Mass., Daniela Griner of Athens, Marshall (Mac) McLane Jr., Kelly McLane, Stephens Griner; Stephanie Walizer; Kristie Walizer; all of Valdosta.

            She was preceded in death by her husband, Louis McLane; a sister; Louise Alford Howard, and brothers, William Alford Sr., and Roy Alford Sr.

            Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday Oct. 31, 2002, at Park Avenue United Methodist Church…. Burial will follow in Sunset Hill Cemetery The family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. this evening at Carson McLane Funeral Home.

 

Photo from Sunset Hill Cemetery, Valdosta, Lowndes Co., GA—www.findagrave.com

Permission granted by the photographer, Robert Strickland

 

AAFA NOTES: SSDI records confirm the birth and death dates of Elizabeth [sic] A. McLane (issued in GA).

            We included the obituaries of her paternal grandfather, Allen Stephens Alford, in South Carolina Obituaries; and of her paternal grandmother, Julia Ann Avery Alford, in Georgia Obituaries.

            From:

 

Source unknown

_____, GA—Thursday, 23 April 1998

 

RECEPTION AT CRESCENT TO HONOR ELISABETH MCLANE

 

VALDOSTA—Well-known community resident Elisabeth McLane will be honored at a reception from 2–5 p.m. Sunday afternoon, May 3, at the Woman's Building on Patterson Street.

            Mrs. McLane has touched so many lives in South Georgia," said Dee Knox, one of the group of friends and family organizing the gala event. "She has inspired many to attain higher goals...."

            Mrs. McLane is fondly remembered by the hundreds of brides in the area whose weddings she helped plan and direct as owner and operator of Central Floral Co. Following her retirement after 42 years in the public school system, she worked at Parkwood Development Center for many years.

            Her educational career began in the Echols County School System and continued in Lowndes County where she set up the lunchroom program at Naylor, and later worked as visiting teacher. She and her late husband, Louis McLane, were affiliated with the Carson McLane Funeral Home, ministering to many in a time of grief.

            Mrs. McLane was born Elisabeth Culver Alford in Milledgeville, where she grew up. She is a graduate of Peabody High School and the Georgia State College for Women, and holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Georgia and the Education Specialist from Florida State University.

            She is the mother of two sons, Marshall and Larry; and the grandmother of five.

            Mrs. McLane is a member of the Park Avenue United Methodist Church, the Literary Guild, the Retired Educators Association, Garden Club and Genealogy Society and a past member of Delta Kappa Gamma, American Association of University Women and Professional Association of Georgia Educators....

 

            Elisabeth was an early and strong supporter of genealogical research of her family and her part of Georgia. She was personally responsible for recruiting many AAFA members, in some cases paying their registration fee and first year dues. She was present at seven AAFA annual meetings and would have attended more had her health permitted.

            After Elisabeth’s death AAFA received from an unrelated member this note with a check:

 

Please apply this check to the scholarship fund for the advancement of genealogy in memory of Elisabeth McLane. She did love to research the Alford family. She wore her Alford pin on her dark blue suit into eternity.

 

            Her lineage: Elisabeth Culver 1915 GA¹, Roy Stephens 1879 GA², Allen Stephens 1848 GA³, John Allen 1815 GA⁴, William 1794 NC⁵, Kinchen 1768 NC⁶, Lodwick 1710 VA⁷, James 1687 VA⁸, John 1645 VA⁹.