Dorothy “Dot” Christine (Phillips) Copeland Hauldren was born on November 26, 1931 in Smithville, Lee County Georgia to Cayce and Lucy Cleon (Head) Phillips. She married John Bruce Copeland on December 14, 1951 and Joseph F. Hauldren on March 22, 2008.

Funeral services will be held 12:00 PM, Saturday, June 13, 2026 in the chapel of McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home, 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907. Interment will be held at Parkhill Cemetery.

As a child she made a commitment to Jesus and took Him as her personal Lord and Saviour. She made a promise to serve Him. While faithful herself she made sure that her children attended church so that they were exposed to learning about the Love and sacrifice that Jesus had made on the cross. That exposure led to them saying “yes” to Jesus. Dot being a link in passing on generations of faith.

A copy of a 2018 Mother’s Day email from her son John was found in the Family Bible. John was sharing what mom had meant to him at different periods of his life. Here is an excerpt from that email:

“Moving to Germany you were the Mom of my adventurers: Cub Scouts, my first date, and the day you told me about Jesus personally, and it stuck. I will never forget that day. Dad came into the apartment in a hurry, grabbed his ready bag, kissed and hugged all of us and took off. You went to your bedroom and cried-HARD. Diane and I came up on the bed with you and you pulled us close. I wanted to know what was wrong. You told us that Dad had gone away to a dangerous place and that he might not come home. Then you said that if Dad does not come home, he still would be ok. He would be with Jesus. I asked you how I could go and be with Jesus, and you laid out the gospel in plain, simple language. Mom I am a Christian and even a minister of the gospel because of you. I owe you my eternity, Thank You.”

On June 3, 2026 after a long and life changing battle with Dementia/Alzheimer’s she ran into the loving arms of Her Heavenly Father who was waiting for her. On March 20, 2026 John went to be with Jesus. They are together again,

Her husband John’s military service and job with AFLAC too them back and forth to Columbus. During those years they were members of several different churches in Columbus and served faithfully. In more recent months, when unable to physically attend church, she enjoyed watching Columbus First Baptist Church services on TV. She really enjoyed the children’s segment of the service.

Throughout her life she gave generously of both her resources and her time.

While stationed in Germany for 5 years they planted a mission church in Bamberg. and worked with the local community to support a home for unwed mothers. Their time spent in Germany was something she looked back on fondly and spoke of often.

In Georgia they continued their good works by supporting the Maranatha Children’s Home and later adopted a teenager with special needs from that home. They helped to plant a mission church in Columbus, Trinity Baptist Church.

She enjoyed helping in the community and supported the Cancer Society, United Way, Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, St. Judes for Children, and local food banks including Columbus Mission and Valley Rescue. Having found herself widowed at the young age of 49 she looked for opportunities to help widows and veterans.

There were activities that she was passionate about and being a member of the Order of the Eastern Stars was at the top of her list. She was a member of the Ft, Benning Chapter #278 and Columbus Chapter #261, and received her Fifty Year pin in 2010. She was Worthy Matron three times and received the Grand Cross of Colors.

In her spare time, she enjoyed square dancing and was actively involved with the Phenix City Promenaders and the Fountain City Twirlers. In later years she traveled with the seniors from St. Lukes United Methodist Church and loved all the people she met along the way, She was an avid quilter, making and giving quilts to her children and grandchildren.

She was very active in her children’s lives and participated with them in Cub & Boy Scouts, Brownies/Girl Scouts, Fraternal Orders of the Rainbow’s and DeMolays as well as in school activities including band and pep squad.

The most wonderful part of her life was enjoying time with her Grandchildren who called her “Grandmother C”. She fiercely loved each and every one!! She especially enjoyed teaching them to play cards with Uno or Skip Bo being the games of the day. As they got older an intense game of Dominoes would suddenly appear on the dining room table during the holidays. She never let you win and her grandchildren have said “they were better for it”.

She was preceded in death by her husband’s John Bruce Copeland and Joseph Hauldren, two of her children Dr. John Bruce Copeland, III (Little John) and Deborah Kay Copeland. A grandson John Bruce Copeland, IV and a great grandson Skyler Corona. Her parents Cayce and Lucy Phillips and four brothers Franklin, Issac, Harold and John David Phillips. As well as her grandparents, that she dearly loved, Franklin and Ruth Head.

She is survived by her siblings, Grace Long (Frank), Reba Scott, Ruby Aldridge (Mac), Cynthia Sellers (Royce), Raymond Phillips, her children, Jill (Hall) Copeland, Diane Madden (Kelly), Darlene Lawrence and Maria Kilby (Marvin), grandchildren Juiliana Fine (Doug), Jennifer Prell (Michael), Scott Madden (Holly). Kenny Madden, Johnathon Myers (Emily), Elizabeth Myers, C.J. Kilby, Jennifer Kilby and Calvin Kilby, great-grandchildren MaKenzie (Josh), Jillian, Gabby, Abby, Dougie, Eli, Grayson, Elli, Hudson, Lilly, William, Carlos, Luca and Skye.

In memory of her civic service please consider in lieu of flowers a donation to one of the following: Georgia Hospice at https://georgiahospicecare.com, Britt David Baptist Church at 2801 W Britt David Rd, Columbus, GA 31909 or Masonic Home of Georgia at https://masonichomeofgeorgia.com

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. II Timothy 4:7