Mary Josephine "Jo" Cleveland

Funeral Services will be at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday at Collier-Butler Chapel for Mrs. Mary Josephine “Jo” Cleveland, 88, Gadsden, who passed away June 27, 2014. Rev. Harvey Beck will officiate with burial at Forrest Cemetery. Collier-Butler Funeral and Cremation Services will direct.

Mrs. Cleveland was a member of First United Methodist Church Gadsden. She graduated from Gadsden High School as the class valedictorian and was a graduate of Duke University with a degree in Business Administration. Mrs. Cleveland retired from Republic Steel where she had the honor of being one of the first two women to serve on the Speaker’s Bureau. She was a member of Delta Gamma Fraternity, daughters of the American Revolution, Holy Name of Jesus Medical Center Advisory Board, Woman’s Club, Etowah Historical Society, Gadsden Country Club and Wesleyan Circle at First United Methodist Church Gadsden.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harry Vance Cleveland,

mother, Eva Sewell Gramling and father, James B. Gramling.

She is survived by her godchild, Patsy Blankenship.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church Gadsden.

The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. until the hour of service Tuesday at the funeral home.