Mary Lou Gartung Dove, age 91, died peacefully on March 1, 2020 at St. Gabriel’s Assisted Living in Athens, Georgia.

Mary Lou was born on December 23rd, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan to Roy and Lucille (Hoffman) Gartung. She was a devoted wife and mother providing strength and support to her family. She attended Albion College and was an active member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, PanHellenic council and the Albion College Players. After graduating in 1950, she began her 45-year teaching career in Battle Creek, MI. She continued her education and graduated with a Masters in Education in 1980 from Mercer University and a Specialist in Education from Georgia College in 1982.
Mary Lou had three great passions: teaching, traveling and genealogy. The first was teaching math to middle school students. She taught in California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas and Georgia, leaving full time teaching from Mary Persons Middle School, Forsyth Georgia in 1999 After retiring, Mary Lou accepted short term teaching opportunities at Monroe Middle School and Mount De Sales Academy. As a teacher, Mary Lou was dedicated to teaching the material and working with each student allowing them to succeed in her class. Mary Lou was always delighted to run into former students in the community and always remembered a story or two about the time the student was in her class.
Mary Lou was a fearless world traveler and began her traveling adventures in 1953 when she took a 6-month tour of post WWII Europe. She later combined her love of teaching and love of travel by taking students to Italy and Spain. Mary Lou enjoyed planning trips and had many adventures with her sister Beth and cousin Peach in Europe, and with Beth searching for ancestors in Sweden and Germany. She and husband, Vernon, enjoyed cruises and traveling with their grandchildren.

After her 1953 European vacation, Mary Lou accepted a position teaching in San Diego, CA, where she met and married a handsome young sailor, Vernon. She and Vernon developed lifelong friendships with their fellow teachers and sailors which resulted in annual get togethers throughout the United States to catch up with the “Navy Buddies”.
Mary Lou spent her retirement years as an avid genealogist, studying the family history of the Gartungs and the Doves. Trips to Salt Lake City, Sweden, and Germany on fact finding missions allowed her to locate, communicate, and in some cases meet and visit with relatives in Germany and the United States.
Mary Lou is preceded in death by her father, Roy Gartung, her mother, Lucille, and her sister, Beth. She is survived by her husband Vernon, her children Linda (Mark) Logan, John (Teri) Dove, and Nancy (Joe) James, 8 grandchildren: Michael, Jennifer, Paige (Gordon), Eva Beth, Will, Jackson, Anna Grace, Bethany, a great-grand child, Hudson.
A memorial service and celebration of Mary Lou’s life will be on the afternoon of Monday, March 16, 2020 at St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 753 College St, Macon Ga beginning at 2pm. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Episcopal Development and Relief Fund or the charity of your choice.
Visit www.maconmp.com to express condolences.
Macon Memorial Park Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.