Gailya Dawn (Jordan) von Weisenstein passed away on May 1, 2026, in Brentwood, Tennessee, at the age of 89. She is survived by her son, Tom (Bridget) of Brentwood; grandson, Ian; brother, Herschel (Marge); and a large extended family of four generations.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John; her parents, George and Essie Jordan; and an infant brother.
Born on May 5, 1936, in Cullman County, Alabama, Dawn grew up on a family farm. Her early years picking cotton and tending animals instilled a lifelong work ethic. After graduating from Cullman High in 1954, she earned a Dental Hygiene Certificate from the University of Alabama (1956). Later, as an adult learner, she completed both a BS (1985) and an MS (1987) in Education from the University of Tennessee. She married John von Weisenstein on June 14, 1961, and they remained devoted until his death in 2018.
Dawn was a dedicated and natural leader, maintaining lifelong activism in state and national Dental Hygiene Associations. Throughout her time in Huntsville, Knoxville, and Nashville, she became a cornerstone of every community she joined. In retirement, she and John cherished traveling together. As the family’s dedicated genealogist, Dawn’s passion for preserving history is the reason her vibrant legacy is so well-recorded today.
A lifelong Methodist, Dawn was a 50-year member of the United Methodist Women and for many years supervised the soup kitchen at Church Street UMC. She was a passionate Alabama “Roll Tide” fan and loved vacationing at Ft. Walton Beach.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Belmont United Methodist Church on June 13th at 11 a.m. with a private interment at Shedd Cemetery in Cullman.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to:
Belmont UMC: belmontumc.org
Vanderbilt Health: give.vanderbilthealth.org
Church Street UMC Soup Kitchen: churchstreetumc.org
