Dorothy Cleo Graves (née Poole), 84, died peacefully on December 16 in Indianapolis. Dot, as everyone called her, was the seventh of 12 children born to Tom and Pearl Poole in Portland, Tennessee, on October 5, 1935. She married the love of her life, Paul Graves, in 1951. The following year, she gave birth to their daughter, Vickie, and their son, Tony, came along four years later. In 1959, the Graves family moved from Nashville, Tennessee, to Indianapolis and built a life together. Dot was in charge of raising the kids, making the house a home and perfecting her recipe for the best cornbread you've ever tasted. Eventually, Dot became Nana to her granddaughters, Heather and Ashley, who worshipped the ground upon which she walked.

Dot spent the second half of her life surrounded by friends, family and her "adopted" family (which included servers from her favorite restaurants and Heather's best friend, Sara). She loved going to the beauty shop on Fridays and Fountain Square Church of Christ on Sundays. And if you were lucky enough to know her well, you got invited over to sit on the porch swing and learn everything you never wanted to know about the neighbors and the neighborhood.

Dot leaves behind her beloved husband of 68 years, Paul Graves; daughter Vickie (Mike) Mourer; son Tony (Dawn) Graves; granddaughters Heather Mourer and Ashley Graves; sisters Sue Meadows, Linda Sims and Pam Crawford; myriad nieces, nephews and cousins; and all of her adopted family, friends and fans. She was preceded in death by her parents and eight of her 12 siblings.

Funeral services will be conducted by Paul's cousin, Stanley Glover, this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Flanner Buchanan - Memorial Park, with visiting hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.