Dorothy Jane Rudy

Dorothy Jane Rudy (Person) was born January 11, 1938, in Philipp, Mississippi to parents Thelma Whalen Person and Presley Carter Person, III. Known to her family and friends as Dot, and later lovingly renamed “Granny Dot” by her eldest grandchild, she is preceded in death by her parents and seven siblings: Martha Mildred Provenza, Emma Louise Coleman, Mary Nell Johnston, Presley Carter Person IV, Billy B. Person, Robert Windom Person, and Samuel Coleman Person. A devoted mother, she is survived by her daughters Jennifer Rodriguez (David Von Gontard) and Jessica Arnold (Eric), three grandchildren Danielle Ryker (Greg), Cole Arnold, and Marsh Arnold, as well as two great grandchildren Chloe Ryker and Preston Ryker. She also has countless nieces, nephews and cousins who love and miss her dearly.

Dot grew up on the family land just outside of Water Valley, Mississippi. The quintessential middle child, Dot did as she was told: picking cotton, tending to the livestock, staying out of that water until you learn to swim (as Thelma said), and occasionally getting into trouble with her siblings and cousins.

In the 1960s, she moved to Memphis, getting her own apartment, and meeting Elvis at the fence line of Graceland (and admitting to giggling like a schoolgirl). She worked clerical positions and applied for a secretarial school in Washington, D.C. – just to see if she was good enough to be accepted. (She was.)

She met and married Robert Rudy in Memphis. They moved frequently early on, but eventually settled in Bob’s hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Often unnoticed, Dot’s strength and determination were unmatched. She worked multiple jobs and held her family together for more than 20 years. Quietly and with incredible grace, she never even took a sick day.

In 1993 she divorced Robert, and her life really began. She reinvented herself completely: bought and built her own home, went back to school, and became a Certified Nurses Aid and then Certified Medical Technician. She worked in a nursing home until 2013: she joked that if she stayed any longer, they’d just give her a room.

Granny Dot spent her golden years baking, reading, and cheering on the Cards. She played an integral role in the lives of her grandchildren: baby-sitting, feeding, loving each one deeply. Each still has a favorite sweet that only Granny could make. We’ve saved every recipe.

Every birthday and holiday were an opportunity to spread love with baked goods and home cooked meals. She spent hours in the kitchen making sure none of her loved ones went hungry – if you came to visit Granny Dot you were staying for a meal.

Dot quietly knew that her cancer had returned long before her family did. She continued caring for everyone else until the very end, many never knew she was ill. She passed away with Jennifer, Jessica and Eric at her bedside on August 1, 2025. We miss her more than words can express.

In lieu of flowers and as Dot wanted, we ask for contributions to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Interment will be at Bethlehem Cemetery in Yalobusha County, Mississippi at a later date. Graveside service for family - details to be shared in September.