Obit – Mrs. Shirley Smith Petty
Mrs. Shirley Smith Petty age 88, a homemaker of the Buffalo Valley Community, departed her earthly journey at 6:01 p.m. Sunday evening to begin her new life with her family who had gone on before her. With her surviving family at her bedside, she was pronounced deceased at her Sullins Hollow Road home at 6:48 p.m. Sunday evening May 10, 2026 by paramedics from the Putnam County Ambulance Service.
Funeral services from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home were conducted Wednesday morning May 13th at 11 a.m. Bro. Randy Bilbrey and Bro. Ed Shaver officiated and burial was beside her husband in the Chestnut Mound United Methodist Church Cemetery.
Mrs. Petty was the seventh born and last surviving of ten children of the late Rev. Alfred (Cub) Smith who died at the age of 94 on March 9, 1996 and Effie Ethel Petty Smith who died at the age of 81 on December 18, 1986.
The nine siblings preceding her in death were Ima Jean Smith who died January 4, 1992 at the age of 48, Cecil Odell Smith who died on October 18, 1987 at the age of 63, William Columbus (Bill) Smith who died February 17, 1996 at the age of 65, Dorothy Smith Chaffin who died May 21, 2000 at the age of 75, Ruby Carolyn Smith Rice who died February 10, 2009 at the age of 73, Dimple Dean Smith Watson who died July 9, 2012 at the age of 86, Buck Smith who died February 22, 2014 at the age of 73, Glenda Sue Smith Woods who died December 18, 2019 at the age 77, and Catherine Smith Glover who died January 2, 2020 at the age of 91.
Mr. and Mrs. Petty suffered the loss of two sons, Richard Lynn Petty who died at the age of twelve days on October 31, 1958 and Larry Rosson Petty who died at the age of 36 on January 9, 1997.
A daughter, Wanda Louise Petty Chambers died at the age of 66 on February 8, 2021 as did her son-in-law Robert Douglas Chambers who died at the age of 63 on November 2, 2009.
At the Smith County Courthouse on September 8, 1953, she was united in marriage to Jackie Petty. The ceremony was officiated by then Justice of the Peace, H. H. White, who owned the Western Auto Store across Main Street from the courthouse. Mr. Petty preceded her in death on April 14, 2014 at the age of 83 following over sixty years of marriage.
Mrs. Petty was a member of the Buckners Freewill Baptist Church at Buffalo Valley.
She was retired from C & M Clothing as a seamstress.
Surviving is her son, Gary Petty and wife Vickie Apple Petty of the Chestnut Mound Community; four grandchildren, Vickie Kiefer of the Buffalo Valley Community, Kelli Petty Martin and husband Jason of the Defeated Creek Community, Jamie Petty of Carthage, April Petty Rowe and husband Brandon of the Temperance Hall Community; five great grandchildren.
The Petty family has requested memorials to the Chestnut Mound United Methodist Church Cemetery.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
