Nolia Dodd

On May 12, 1931, Nolia Mae Dodd was born to Sheffield and Serelda Barkwell in Daingerfield, TX.  From a young age, Nolia valued hard work, taking care of others and learning.  Nolia's love of learning led her to graduate from High School in May 1948 and then go on to become an educator.  She studied to pursue this dream at Jarvis Christian Collage where she also played on the women's basketball team.  In her time at Jarvis, she accomplished many things.  She was awarded the title "Miss Jarvis homecoming Queen"for the 1950-1951 school year.  She then received a certificate of honor for home economic in 1952, the same year she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. Following her education, she married and from that union had three children.  Later in life she remarried and birthed one more child for a total of four.  The late Mrs. Dodd spent her life in service of her students and her home.  She lived her dream of teaching in several places, from Georgia, to Philadelphia, and California, eventually coming home to Daingerfield, TX.  Nolia taught as a passion, not just a profession and as such her work followed her home where she taught a wealth of lessons to her family.  Mrs. Dodd will be remembered as a strong resilient woman. Not only the matriarch of her family, but strong in her faith.  She was a member of the First christian Church of Mt. pleasant since 1985.  It will be difficult for any who ever crossed paths with Nolia not to smile when thinking of shared memories.

Nolia Mae Dodd is preceded in death by Sheffield and Serelda Barkwell; Sheffield Barkwell, Jr., James Barkwell, John Dodd and Kevin Reed.

She is survived by her loving family, children, Carrol Reed, Alfred Reed, Serena Dodd; grandchildren, Avante Smith, Angel King, Serelda Brown, Tunde Ajayi, Pam Dodd and Vonda Dodd; great-grandchildren, Jaxson Smith, Ja'hari Martin; sister-in-law, Valerie Barkwell as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Nolia was called home on the morning of September 11, 2019.  She had lived a full and rewarding life.

Services for Nolia Dodd, 88, will be 11:00 p.m. Saturday, September 21, 2019 at Daingerfield High School Auditorium. Burial will follow at Whitmore Cemetery under the direction of Reeder-Davis Funeral Home in Hughes Springs. Ms. Dodd will lie in state from 12:00 noon until 8:00 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.