My Relationship : 2nd Cousin 3 Times Removed
Father: Thomas Shelton LOLLAR
Mother: Minerva Elizabeth HANKINS
Death: 30 Jun 2005
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Grace Lollar Downing Gravlee (VESTAVIA HILLS) Grace Lollar Downing Gravlee, 92,
of Vestavia Hills, a suburb of Birmingham, died at her home on June 30, 2005,
after a lengthy illness. She was 92. A native of Lamar County, Alabama, she
had made Birmingham her home since 1941. Mrs. Gravlee graduated from Lamar
County High School at the age of 16, after receiving two double promotions.
She attended Missipppi [Mississippi] State College for Women (now Mississippi
University for Women), before transferring and graduating with a B.A. in
English from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University) at the age
of 20. She taught school in Lamar and Jefferson counties. After the death of
her second husband, she earned a master's degree in English from Samford
University in 1972 at the age of 59. Mrs. Gravlee enjoyed driving automobiles
until she was 91. She earned her private pilot's license while attending
Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Mrs. Gravlee pursued the hobbies of writing and
painting. As a book reviewer, she was in great demand by many local civic
groups. She enjoyed writing short stories and poems, and was a former
president of the Alabama State Poetry Society, as well as the Birmingham
Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters. In keeping with her love
for the arts, she helped to establish Minerva's Gallery in Vernon, which
provides a perpetual art exhibit as a memorial to her mother, Minerva Hankins
Lollar. Mrs. Gravlee was preceded in death by three husbands: Edward Kyle
Farmer, Fred Mortimer Downing, D.D.S., and Levert Gib Gravlee, D.D.S. She was
also predeceased by her son, Edward Farmer Downing, M.D. of Savannah, Ga. She
is survived by one daughter, Lemoyen Downing Hunter, of Wedowee, special
education coordinator at the Randolph County Board of Education; two
granddaughters, and one daughter-in-law, Helen Dean Downing of Savannah.
Services were at 2 pm, July 3, at Elmwood Chapel, Birmingham, with the Rev.
Ted Leach and the Rev. Chriss Doss officiating.