Orilla Marguerite Dowling

Orilla Marguerite Truluck Dowling was 95 when she passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at the McLeod Hospice on April 28, 2014, after a long illness. Orilla was the first born child to the late Eugene David Truluck and Edna Gowdy Moore Truluck. She was born May 21, 1918 in Sumter County, SC. Orilla is predeceased by her husband of 37 years, Laurin P. Dowling, Sr., her son Laurin P. "Bud" Dowling Jr. and her three siblings, Grace Milicent Bradley, Hazel Jean Truluck Perry and Eugene David Truluck, Jr. Orilla is survived by her daughters Mary Frances (Sonny) Windham of Hope Mills NC, Norma Jean( Richard) Fields, of Lugoff, SC and son Thomas Allen (Betty) Dowling of Timmonsville, and daughter-in-law Mildred G. Dowling. She leaves ten grandchildren: LaRue (Robbin) Windham, Hope Mills, David (Beth) Windham Charlotte, Doug (Debra) Dowling, Van (Sheila) Dowling, Tammie Moore, Tad (Kristin) Dowling, and Adam (Jessica) Dowling all of Darlington County, Natalie (Dana) Epting, of Florence, Tina (Devery) Hale of Columbia and Ricky Fields of Lugoff. She leaves 19 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great grandchildren."Ma" had the great joy of spending much time with her beloved little ones Drew, Samuel and Addison Dowling. Orilla was a member of the First Baptist Church of Florence.She graduated from Sherwood High School in Lynchburg SC. While raising her family she found the time to be an excellent homemaker and seamstress. She worked outside the home at Dixie Cup and as a lab and x-ray Tech at Byerly Hospital. Later she worked at Cokers Department Store. When she retired from Cokers she found life a little boring so she attended Florence-Darlington Tech and earned her CNA. She sat with many patients over the years and truly enjoyed that work. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 2, 2014 in the Chapel of Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home.Burial will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home and other times at 1324 Old Ebenezer Road. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 300 S. Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501 or to the Frank Monroe Scholarship Fund, Florence Baptist Temple, 2308 South Irby Street, Florence, SC 29505. Pallbearers are her grandsons LaRue Windham, David Windham, Doug Dowling, Van Dowling, Tad Dowling, Adam Dowling, and Ricky Fields. Please sign the tribute wall for Mrs. Dowling at the obit section of www.stoudenmiredowling.com.