Pearl Gahagan Landers. 86. Died July 31 after a short time of heart health challenges. Beloved mother of Glenda (Joe Rodgers) and Sandra (Charles Tolley). Adored grandmother of Stephen, Josi (Jesse Hobbs), Amanda, Crystal (B. J. Noble), Caroline (Joe Davis) and Elizabeth (Chad Ayers). Cherished great grandmother of Taylor, Jessica, Thaddeus, Aiden, Jake, Emma Jo, Sarah, Catherine, and Charlotte Glenn. Loved sister of Trevis and Richard. She was preceded in death by Glenn, her husband of 61 years. She was devoted to her family, her church family (she was a lifelong member of the Walnut Presbyterian Church), neighbors, countless friends, and her chocolate lab "Little Lady." She was an avid reader, gardener and bird watcher and shared her love of nature and reading with all of us. Pearl was the fifth of eight children born to Warner and Polly Gahagan of Little Laurel. As a young girl, she married Glenn Landers and moved to Lonesome Mountain and learned to cook and make a home and drive a car. When her girls were in school, she went to work for Mills Manufacturing and learned to make military parachutes so she and Glenn could see that their girls could go to college. She worked at Mills and then came home and worked at the filling station all the while seeing that the home was the heart of the family. Later in life she devoted her energy to helping look after the grands and the great grands. She still made Sunday lunches after church and did the hokey pokey with great grands. She couldn't be beat at having fun.
While the loss is huge, Pearl leaves behind the example of a caring life. Those memories will inform all of us forever. Memorials to her memory may be made to the Friends of Madison County Public Library for Children's services, 1335 N. Main Street, Marshall NC 28753. A special thank you to Dr. Marianna Daly with the Mashburn Medical Center for providing such care and support to Pearl and her family. A celebration of Pearl’s life will take place at 2:00 PM, Saturday, August 5th, 2017 at the Walnut Presbyterian Church with Pastor Pat Hardy officiating. Burial will follow at the Scott Chandler Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church from one until two prior to the service.
Online condolences can be sent to the family at: www.blueridgefuneralservice.org.