Dovie Mae Green Udd, 90, passed away peacefully on November 27, 2015 in Fort Worth. Visitation will be held from 6 pm to 8 pm Thursday, December 3, at Bean-Massey-Burge Funeral Home in Grand Prairie. Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 am Friday, December 4, at Bean-Massey-Burge Funeral Home Chapel in Grand Prairie. Burial will be at 1:00 pm Friday at Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery in Dallas. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to the Alzheimer’s Association. Dovie was born May 27, 1925 in Sherman, Grayson County, Texas. Her parents were Earls Wiley Green and Birdie Lucille Presley. Dovie's siblings were Helen Green Armstrong, Leo Green, and Genell Green Wiggins. Dovie attended Southmayd High School. Dovie married James Griffin in 1941. She married her present husband, Ben Udd, in 1970.
She grew up in Grayson County and ultimately claimed Arlington as her hometown in 1954. While her children were young, she was influential in the growth of Girl Scouts during the 1950s. She opened and operated Humpty Dumpty Day School in 1959. It was the fourth licensed day care in Arlington. This was her calling and passion and subsequently opened Humpty Dumpty Day School #2 on Benge Street in 1962 and School #3 in Grand Prairie in 1965. Dovie ensured her schools were equipped with the best educational curriculum, supplies, and equipment. She was a natural born artist with excellent creative skills that was evident to anyone that walked into her schools. She opened Infants Palace in 1969 later renamed Palace Day School. The business grew to include two new buildings designed and built by Dovie and Ben on Luttrell Street in 1973 and 1974. Dovie was in day care business for 28 years. Dovie and Ben owned and operated a trailor park and five rent houses on Oakwood Lane in Arlington concurrently with the day care business. She was also very involved in Udd Computer Systems. During her tenure, Dovie was an active member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, and after winning a battle with breast cancer became active in promoting awareness during the 1960s. Upon retirement in 1987, Ben and Dovie moved to Nahcotta, Washington where they lived and raised ostriches, llamas, goats, sheep, miniature horses, and pot bellied pigs. They returned to Tolar, Texas in 1992 and co-operated a cattle ranch with Dovie's daughter and son-in-law before moving to Arlington in 2002.
Dovie is known to many as Mother or Momma, Nanny, Aunt Dovie, Mrs. Griffin, Mrs. Udd, Dovie Mae or just Dovie to her friends. Dovie was beautiful, successful, outgoing, classy, creative, loving, witty, and giving. She had a beautiful singing voice and as a young teenager sang gospel songs on the radio in Sherman, TX. She was raised in the church, baptized as a child, and believed in Jesus as her Lord and Savior.
Dovie is survived by her husband, Ben Udd of 45 years; daughters, Linda Griffin Gray and husband Morton of Nemo, Barbara Griffin Ruthart of Arlington, Patricia Griffin Stampes and husband Steve of Grand Prairie, Martha Griffin Carter and husband Charles of Arlington, Theresa Udd Kushner and husband Matt of Pleasonton, CA, Lesa Udd Walton-Brecht and husband Tim of Waxahachie, ten grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren, step grandchildren and nephews and nieces.
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