Dorothy "Dot" Shelley Hardy

DOROTHY “DOT” SHELLEY HARDY

TUMBLETON… Dorothy “Dot” Shelley Hardy, a resident of the Tumbleton Community of Henry County, Alabama, near Headland passed away Tuesday morning, August 19, 2025, at her home. She was 101.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, August 23, 2025, at New Zion Free Will Baptist Church, with Reverend Joey Pettis and Reverend Tim McCraney officiating. Serving as pallbearers will be her grandsons. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. Friday evening, August 22, 2025, at Wright Funeral Home & Crematory. Wright Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.

Flowers will be accepted, or memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Dot’s honor to the New Zion Free Will Baptist Church Building Fund, 9716 CR-99, Headland, Alabama 36345.

Mrs. Dot was born on July 4th, 1924, to the late Grover “Pomp” Cleveland Shelley and Queenie Bradshaw Shelley. Because of her birthday, her father nicknamed her his “little Firecracker Baby” and she lived up to it well! She attended Tumbleton School and Headland High School and was known to be a very good basketball player. She worked on the farm in her earlier years. Always determined, she once picked an entire bale of cotton in a week just to prove to herself and others that SHE could do it! She was a devoted member of the New Zion Free Will Baptist Church in Tumbleton.

She was also a fantastic cook! There was something extra special about going to eat summer dinner at her house. Fried chicken, freshly picked vegetables, and some types of cobbler were favorite menu items. And who could forget her sweet tea…three generations of grandchildren have walked into her house asking for “Granny Tea”.

She was definitely blessed with a “green thumb”. She was known throughout the Tumbleton Community for driving her golf cart around the yard to water her beautiful flowers. Passers-by were greeted with a wave and a warm smile as she tended to her yard or picked up pecans.

Mrs. Dot loved her family, and we loved her; knowing that the Lord surely blessed us in a special way by allowing us to be led by such a remarkable matriarch for more years than most. During her brief illness, her house was filled with family and friends. There were tears, but there was also love, laughter, and special memories shared with one another. She made this world a better place and our family is surely better for having been nurtured by such a wonderful lady. Her fiery spirit, kind heart, gentleness and strength live on in each of us.

In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband of sixty-seven years, L.J. Hardy; her son, Jerry Hardy; her granddaughter, Dawn Hardy Lewis; her son-in-law, John Allen Skipper; her great-great-granddaughter, Cylann Dawn Hicks; her sisters, Ida Pearl Shelley Wilson and Nina Jo Shelley Killingsworth; her brothers, Cleveland Shelley, Jr., Jack Shelley, Shelby Earl Shelley, and William Major Shelley.

Leaving to cherish her memories are her daughters, Judy Hardy Skipper and Zelda Hardy Oates (Wyatt); her son, Kyle Hardy (Dianne); daughter-in-law, Colleen Hardy; her sister, Janelle Shelley; her grandchildren; Neal Hardy, Jill Skipper Albert (Todd), Kylie Hardy (Tasha), Janie Skipper Hutto (Thomas), Adam Hardy (Amanda), Jeffrey Hardy (Brandi), Josh Oates (Jenna), Jarrod Oates (Heather), and Jay Skipper (Jamie); her grandson-in-law, George Lewis; her twenty-two great-grandchildren; her seven great-great-grandchildren; her numerous special nieces and nephews; and her sitters, Michele Apida, Margo Apida, JoAnn Culp, Patsy Barron, and Jean Grider. A very special thank you to Enhabit Hospice for their service.

WRIGHT FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY

Phone 334-6WE-CARE (693-2273)

www.wrightfuneralhomeandcrematory.com

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