Carol Land Ragsdale October 11, 1923 - February 4, 2003 COLUMBUS, GA Ñ Carol Land Ragsdale, age 79 of Columbus, died Tuesday, February 4, 2003 at St. Francis Hospital. Memorial services will be held 2:00 p.m. Friday, February 7, 2003 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 2100 Hilton Avenue. A reception will be held following services, according to Charles E. Huff's International Funeral Home. Mrs. Ragsdale was born October 11, 1923 in Enfield, IL, the daughter of Chalon T. and Margaret P. Land. She graduated from Enfield High School and continued her education by earning a Bachelors in Music from Murray State College and obtaining a Masters in Music Education at Northwestern University. She also earned a Masters in Reading at Alabama State and a 6-Year Teaching Certificate in Reading at Columbus College. In 1954, she came to Columbus and first worked at WDAK Radio. A teacher for over 50 years, mostly in the Columbus, GA area, she taught at St. Thomas Episcopal Pre-School, and later directed orchestras at several schools in the Columbus School System. She then taught remedial reading at Cusseta Road Elementary School for 20 years until her retirement. Mrs. Ragsdale was principal cellist in the Columbus Symphony in its early years. She was an active board member of the Atlanta Jazz Society, which presented her with the Carol Ragsdale Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Keeping Music Alive Through Service Award. Mrs. Ragsdale was also active with the Agape Center, serving on the board in several capacities. She was an honorary Life Member of the Georgia PTA, a member of the George Washington Chapter of the DAR, and a member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Survivors include her three children, Chalon Land Ragsdale, Ann Jordan Ragsdale and David Land Ragsdale, a daughter-in-law, Dell Martin Ragsdale, and three grandchildren, Aaron, Benjamin and Lynn Ragsdale. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Thomas Episcopal Church. First Appeared in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Ga) Thursday, February 6, 2003