Gracella Dougherty

Mrs. Gracella Wilson Dougherty passed away on Wednesday May 01, 2013 at Spalding Regional Hospital.

Mrs. Dougherty was born on July 11, 1923 in Stanton, North Dakota to the late Robert Wilson and the late Madeline Willis Wilson. She was also preceded in death her husband, Ralph Adams Dougherty, son, Mark Dougherty and daughter, Janet Dougherty Krepps. Grace was a stewardess with Eastern Air Lines. While she was working for Eastern as a stewardess, Gracella met her Tennessee husband, Ralph Dougherty, who was a pilot for Eastern. Company President Eddie Rickenbacker told her graduating stewardess class that Eastern had invested a lot of money in their training; however, if they met a rich passenger or a handsome pilot he would understand them leaving the company. She married her pilot in February of 1947.

In 1953 the Dougherty’s bought a farm in Spalding County where they raised their family. In 1970, they decided to turn the farmland into a golf course. That was the beginning of Cabin Creek Golf Club that is still in existence today.

Survivors include her children and their spouses; Ralph Jr. and Georganne Dougherty, Randy and Barbara Dougherty of Griffin, Cathy and Ernie Marshall of Marshall, Texas; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews; brother and sister-in-law, Robert Lee and Sue Wilson of North Dakota; sister-in-law, Hermelle Wilson; brother-in-law, Ronald Squires; nephews, Dr. Richard and Martha Daugherty, Reverend Dr. James and Betty Dougherty of Knoxville, TN; son-in-law, Arthur C. Krepps III; and special friend, Sylvia Avery. Gracella will always be remembered as “Honey” by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Gracella was a long time member of the Griffin Church of Christ. Mrs. Dougherty like Ralph was a staunch Republican. They were both active until their deaths.