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Dora Sue (Dodie) Noland journeyed home Monday, September 1, 2014. She was born on January 13, 1937 at her family's home in Morrison, OK followed ten minutes later by her surprise identical twin sister Cora Lou (Cody). The twins and their two brothers were the children of Melvin Lee and Mary Levona Hambright and they grew up in Fairfax and Pawhuska, OK.
Dodie married and had two daughters. She later divorced and in 1965 moved to Chanute as a single mom to attend the Lillian Grimes Nursing School. She earned her LPN degree and then commuted to Parsons to earn her RN degree. She was an Outstanding Student of the Year two times in nursing school, and President of the Kansas Nursing Association. She worked in hospitals and doctors' offices and recently with Craig Home Health Care. She kept her nursing licenses current in Kansas and Oklahoma for 47 years.
In 1968, she married Edsel Noland. They enjoyed traveling, boating, hunting, skiing, entertaining and golfing together for 24 years before divorcing.
Dodie had an adventurous spirit. She took flying lessons, soloed and earned her private pilot license. In May of 1986 she walked away from a forced landing at the Shangri La Grand Prix A Race which totaled her Cessna 172 plane. She also parasailed in Acapulco and skydived. She parachute jumped from 9,000 feet in 1989. She was a member of the 99'ers Women's Pilot Association and flew daffodils around the state of Kansas for a cancer fundraiser in her Cessna 182.
Golf was a sport she fully embraced. She spent many hours at both courses in Chanute improving her game. She won Championship Flight at Safari Gold Course and went on to play tournament golf. Dodie served as President of Women's Golf Association and Co-President of the United States Gold Association along with her sister Cody. They became certified golf course raters and worked at rating courses together in Kansas, Arizona, Arkansas and Oklahoma for 12 years.
She was a member of USGA and LPGA for 22 years from 1986-2008. Three years ago her health issues prevented her from continuing to swing her own clubs but she enthusiastically cheered her favorite pro golfers from the sideline of the big screen with surround sound.
Dodie was a dedicated Christian woman who served God's work through four mission trips and two years working at Hidden Haven Christian Camp. She enjoyed hosting and attending Bible studies in recent years. She was a member of First United Methodist Church for over 40 years and a member of Ambassador Christian Church for the past 8 years. She loved the fellowship of belonging to a church family.
Dodie was energetic, athletic, and enjoyed being outdoors. She began hunting as a teenager and shot a deer almost every year. She also hunted pheasant, elk, dove quail and wild boar. In later years she enjoyed fishing. She water and snow skied. She enjoyed traveling. She toured Europe in 1973 visiting Italy, Germany and Switzerland. She later enjoyed a trip to Ireland. Dodie also vacationed in Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska. In 2007 she took her family on a Carnival Cruise to Cozumel. She traveled to all 50 states.
She loved to sunbathe, soak in the warm sunshine and have a good tan. She was a people person who was kind, generous, funny, caring, beautiful and full of life and energy. The magnetism of these qualities resulted in many longtime friends who she cherished. She liked to quilt and made many keepsakes for her family and friends. Dodie liked being a hostess and serving others, cooking & dancing. She was an avid reader and especially enjoyed playing cards and games with her family. Dodie was also a snowbird and enjoyed winters in Arizona. She also loved drinking Cokes! She liked to stay active and always had a project she was working on diligently.
One of her favorite memories in life was after the big Thanksgiving dinners when all her family would help put out the beautiful Christmas decorations. She loved all the bling and the family time working together.
She served on the Board of Directors at the Chanute Country Club for several terms. She served as a Director for the Bank of Commerce. She attended President Ronald Regan's Inauguration and President Clinton's Memorial Day Address at Arlington with her grandson, Derek.
She seriously loved being a twin. Dodie and her mirror image Cody shared so many wonderful life memories together. They have fun dressing up alike and entering twin contests. They won most identical 24 times. They were featured in People, Sports Illustrated, Good Housekeeping and other magazines for twin related stories. They judged a twin contest in Barbados together. They participated in a twin research project in London in 1982. They were both private pilots, avid and skilled golfers and quilters who loved to read, play cards, eat popcorn and watch old movies. They were so close and so much alike inside and out.
The real joy in Dodie's life
was her 3 grandchildren and
her new great grandson. She
had a strong relationship
with her grandchildren and
was a fun, loving, wonderful
""Nannie"" to each of them.
Dodie struggled with RA in
recent years but her real
health battle began 3 years
ago with melanoma. It was
removed and under control
until March of this year.
She underwent several more
surgeries but it spread
rapidly and accelerated too
quickly in recent weeks.
She is loved and survived by her daughter, Deborah Sue Huffman, her 2 grandsons Derek Ryan Huffman and Dane Robert Huffman, a granddaughter Haley Suzanne Tubbs and husband Adrian and one adorable great grandson Jaxen Scott Tubbs. She also leaves behind her beloved sister Cody McNair and her husband David and a cherished niece Karren Maxwell, all of Bartlesville, Oklahoma along with 6 other nieces and nephews and several great nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her beautiful daughter, Linda Lou Isaacs, her parents, Mary and Melvin Hambright, her brothers Dale and Joe Hambright, a nephew Tommy Hambright and her grandparents George and Susie Baugh.
Her family will host a visitation from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, September 5, 2014 at Ambassador Christian Church Chanute.
Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 6, 2014 at the First United Methodist Church in Chanute.
She will be buried beside her daughter, Linda, at Neosho County Memorial Park Cemetery on 21st Street in Chanute.
Donations may left in her name to Ambassador Christian Church for the Welcoming Center Project and may be left with or mailed to Countryside Funeral Home.
Countryside Funeral Home Johnson Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. On-line condolences may be left at www.countrysidefh.com.
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