Aurine Davis Gallaher

Mrs. Aurine Davis Gallaher was born in Greene County, Tennessee, on February 24, 1910, and died in Ocean Springs, MS on January 22, 2009. Mrs. Gallaher was the daughter of a Lutheran minister and grew up in various parts of the country, where her father served in churches, including Knoxville, TN., Chicago, IL., Indianapolis, IN, and Charleston, SC. She graduated as valedictorian from Technical High School in Indianapolis, attended the College of Charleston, and graduated with an A.B. degree in English and French from Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, NC. She did graduate work in English at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and earned an M.A. degree in English from the University of Southern Mississippi. She began her teaching career in 1930 in Lincolnton, NC. She taught high school English and Speech for many years at McMinn County High School, Athens, TN during the years she lived there with her husband and children from 1937 to 1961. After moving to Ocean Springs in 1961, she taught primarily senior English at Ocean Springs High School until her retirement in 1978. She was honored in 1973 as Career Woman of the Year by the Ocean Springs Business and Professional Women Club, and also in 1973 was selected as an Outstanding Secondary Educator of America. Mrs. Gallaher was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Ocean Springs, where she served as elder, was active in Women of the Church, and for many years taught an adult Sunday School class. She was a member, or formerly a member of Daughters of the American Revolution, Cleophan Club, Delta Kappa Gamma, PEO, Gulf Hills Garden Club, Gulf Coast Symphony Guild, and Gulf Coast Opera Salon. She was a long-time volunteer with the Ocean Springs Hospital Auxiliary. She also enjoyed traveling abroad, playing bridge, gardening, reading, and playing the piano. Mrs. Gallaher was preceded in death by her parents, Walter C. Davis, Sr. and Fanny Ghormley Davis; sisters, Maneeta Davis and Mary Helen Taylor; brothers, Walter C. Davis, Jr. and William G. Davis; husband, Fritts Gallaher; granddaughter, Deborah Dodd; and son-in-law, Edwin Dodd. Survivors include her children Sue (Roland) Figueroa and Mary Helen (Russell) Bayne, all of Ocean Springs, Betty Dodd of Apollo Beach, FL, and Frank (Gayle) Gallaher of Birmingham, AL; grandchildren, David Dodd, DeAnne Dodd Navarro, Susan Figueroa DuBose, Cynthia Figueroa, Melissa Gallaher Yarborough, Matthew Gallaher, and Alison Gallaher; and thirteen great-grandchildren. Visitation will be on Sunday, January 25, 2009, from 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM, at the Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home. On Monday, January 26, 2009, there will be an 11 AM church service at the First Presbyterian Church of Ocean Springs, where the body will lie in state from 10 AM - 11 AM. Burial will follow in Bellande Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family prefers memorials be made to The First Presbyterian Church of Ocean Springs Building Fund, 921 Ocean Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS. 39564.