Obit – Mrs. Mary Lou Smith

Mrs. Mary Lou Smith, age 84 of Carthage, died at 5:56 p.m. Tuesday evening, July 25, 2023 at the Riverview Regional Medical Center with her family at her side.

Funeral services were conducted on Friday morning, July 28th, from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home with Bro. Harold Halliburton and Eld. Joey Gregory officiating.  Burial followed the 11:00 a.m. service beside her husband in the Patterson Cemetery in the Russell Hill Community.

Born Mary Lou Chaffin on November 21, 1938 in Lafayette, she was the daughter of the late William Chaffin and Ida Dallas Chaffin.  She was preceded in death by a sister, Gertrude Chaffin Hale as well as three siblings who died as infants.

In Indiana on September 21, 1956, she was united in marriage to Ralph Eugene Smith who preceded her in death on January 20, 1986 at the age of 61.  Three step-daughters also preceded her in death, Patricia Ann Robertson, Shirley Jean Yancey who died at the age of 66 on April 8, 2011, and Dimple Dean Featherstone who died at the age of 47 on December 25, 1993.  A grandson, Keith Wood, also preceded her in death on August 21, 2022 at the age of 37.

Mrs. Smith was saved as a young girl and was a member of the Williams Missionary Baptist Church.

She worked at the Carthage Shirt Factory, Richardson’s Shop-Rite, and IGA before becoming an in-home sitter.  Her first work as a sitter was with the late Beatrice Kemp of the Graveltown Community.

Surviving are her two children, Debra Smith Courtney & husband Benny of Carthage, Travis Smith & wife Betty of Rawls Creek; grandson, Matt Smith & wife Vanessa of Hogans Creek;  great-grandchildren, Bella Jackson, Reagan Smith, & Lincoln Smith;  several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.

SANDERSON of CARTHAGE