Esther Smith

Esther SmithPelahatchieEsther Smith, age 95, passed away at Rockdale Hospital in Conyers, GA on Feb. 27, 2011. She was a native of Pelahatchie, MS and was a member of Pelahatchie Baptist Church. Esther was a longtime resident of the Rankin County Community and will fondly be remembered as a very loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister. Funeral services will be held at Ott and Lee Funeral Home in Morton, MS on Friday, March 4, 2011 at 1:00 PM. Interment will follow at Pelahatchie City Cemetery. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in law, H. Gaylan and Doris Smith of Bothell, Washington, Ben Keith and Sherrill Smith of Conyers, GA; grandchildren, Laura Landers of Marysville, WA, Sean Smith of Las Vegas, NV, Leslie Smith-Moreland of St. Louis, Christy Boan of Conyers, GA, Amy German of Big Rock, TN, Leigh Ann Rogers of Madison, GA; 13 great-grandchildren; sisters, Louise Stevenson, Elma Smith both of Pelahatchie and several nieces and nephews all of whom brought great joy to her later years.She was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years, Harry E. Smith, Wallace Smith, Brother, Claude Smith, Baby Brother, Mary Smith, Sister and Euna Bowman, Sister.The family will receive friends at Ott and Lee Funeral Home on Thursday from 6-8 PM. Ott and Lee Funeral Home is serving the family.Pall Bearers: John Paul Bowman, Daniel Bowman, Jimmy Dale Smith, Dwight Smith, Larry G. Smith, Paulton Smith and serving as an honorary pallbearer was Wallace M. “Sonny” Smith.Esther and Harry Smith were married October 12, 1939 by Pastor E. N. Patterson and were married 45 years at the time of Harry’s death. They began their married life in Mississippi where Gaylan was born in 1942. Then they moved to Gibson, La and to Arcadia, La where Ben was born in 1952. Harry worked for Southern Natural Gas Co. during this time in Mississippi and Louisiana. In 1966, Harry, Esther and Ben moved back to Pelahatchie and eventually built their house that is there today. Esther worked as a machine operator for M.H. Manufacturing Co. and Harry eventually retired from Southern Natural Gas. They were members of the Pelahatchie Baptist Church. Esther continued to live in Pelahatchie after Harry’s death surrounded by her family that she loved so. Her sons had both finished college and moved to other states and began families of their own. In 2002, because of poor health Ben brought Esther to Conyers, Ga to live with his family there. While living with Ben and Sherrill, she enjoyed the daily contact that she had with many of Ben and Sherrill’s grandchildren. She truly enjoyed seeing them and being a part of their lives. She took vacations with the family, went to church, celebrated birthdays and special events in the great-grandchildren’s lives and just rode along in the car. Then as her health began to deteriorate, her granddaughter Christy would come and check on her daily while Ben and Sherrill were working. Esther celebrated her 95 birthday on December 26, 2010, but then she began to have more trouble with her health. She was in the hospital several times and then to a Rehab center to gain her strength and get better. She lost that fight on February 27, 2011 at Rockdale County Medical Center surrounded by her family who also loved her very much.She will return for the last time to Pelahatchie to be buried there along side her husband Harry E Smith, his mother Mary E.Smith and brother Edwards, on Friday, March 4, 2011 at Pelahatchie City Cemetery.

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