Elizabeth Dawson Towe
Mrs. Elizabeth Dawson Towe, of Martinez, GA, a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, entered into her eternal rest on Monday, September 22, 2025, at the age of 73.
Mrs. Towe was born December 2, 1951, in Surry County, NC, one of five children born to the late Garnet C. and Esther Elaine Hiatt Dawson. She grew up in Carroll County, VA, graduated from Mount Airy High School in 1970, and earned her degree in education from Appalachian State University in 1974. She taught school for several years in Nelson County, VA, before dedicating herself to her family.
Elizabeth was known for her radiant kindness, unselfish spirit, and boundless love for others. Strangers often felt like friends after meeting her, drawn in by her warm smile and genuine compassion. She had a gift for making everyone feel like family, and those who knew her were blessed by her generosity, thoughtfulness, and faithfulness.
Family was at the center of Elizabeth’s life. She delighted in caring for her children and grandchildren, sending holiday and birthday goodie boxes, baking pumpkin muffins, and preparing toiletry bags so they never went without. Her home was always filled with love – and with food. Whether it was slow-cooked grits, homemade Jell-O for an entire school, or her famous holiday feasts, Elizabeth’s cooking was one of her greatest expressions of love. Visitors never left her home empty-handed, always carrying snacks, sandwiches, and even neatly packed wet nap for the road.
She treasured her Moravian heritage, adorning her home with Moravian stars at Christmas, and she embraced every season with joy – apples in the fall, family gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and quiet moments spent marveling at the snow or beauty of the moon. She loved music, playing the piano, and singing, and she filled her home with beauty through her decorating and little collections.
Though tenderhearted, Elizabeth was also strong, resilient, and endlessly resourceful. She always knew where everything was, how to fix anything in the house, and somehow always had exactly what you needed in her purse.
Above all, Elizabeth was a woman of love – compassionate, caring, and completely devoted to her family. Her legacy will live on in the countless lives she touched, and in the hearts of her husband of 51 years, Ben, her children, grandchildren, and all who were blessed to know her.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. Benjamin Franklin Towe; three daughters and a son-in-law, Heather Towe, Amanda and Grant Rumsey, and Sheri Towe; three grandchildren, Emmaline “Emmy” Rumsey, Elizabeth Belle “Betsy” Rumsey, and Evan Rumsey; a sister and brother-in-law, Rebecca and Peter Bradfield; and two brothers and sisters-in-law, Porter Dawson, David and Janie Dawson, and Linda Dawson.
In addition to her parents, Mrs. Towe was preceded in death by a brother, Bill Dawson.
The funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Mount Bethel Moravian Church, with Bruce Ayers, Acolyte, officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends on Friday, September 26, 2025, at 6:00 until 8:00 PM at Moody Funeral Home in Mount Airy, NC.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
