Mary Belle Smith's Obituary
Mary B. Smith passed peacefully from this world on 21 April 2016 at the age of 94. She was born September 12, 1921 in Vernon, Texas as Mary B. Patton to parents Vera and Herman Patton. She was the second daughter, having one older sister, Martha Jo, and three younger brothers: Herman, Dan, and Paul. She met and married Earl Smith in 1940. Together they raised four children. Mary was a devoted mother who participated in everything from boy scouts and girl scouts, car pools, road trips to watch high school football playoffs, elaborate birthday parties to PTA craft fairs. She was a beloved room mother who always had the cookies ready. She loved cats and was seldom without one throughout her life. She also loved family gatherings, meeting new people, and travel. Over the years, she traveled to at least 15 states plus Canada and cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska. Mostly though, she loved sewing things for her kids, and others in the family, like clothes, stuffed animals, and doll clothes. But once the kids were grown she returned to her first love in sewing: quilting. She made her first quilt at the age of 14. Not only was it elaborate using very small pieces of fabric, but it was also expertly assembled and sewn by hand. Mary was one of the earliest members of the Quilters Guild of Dallas and when they began having quilting retreats, she never missed one, including the most recent in January 2016. She was actively involved in the Guild’s charitable work, making dozens of quilted blankets for the Ronald McDonald house in Dallas—all hand sewn. She contributed the “Spindletop” block to the Quilters Guild of Dallas Sesquicentennial Quilt celebrating Texas’ 150th anniversary; it is featured in a number of compendiums on Texas quilts. Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years, her four siblings, and two daughters-in-law, Sherryl Smith and Pam Smith. She will be dearly missed by those who survive her including her four children and their spouses: Ronnie Smith and his wife Debbie Smith, Larry Smith and his wife Carolyn Smith, Leta Smith and her husband Tom Dunn, and Karen Smith. She is also survived by grandson Chris Smith and his wife Kim Smith and by granddaughter Jill Smith. She is survived by one great-grandson, Ian Mallard, son to granddaughter Jill. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation from 5-7pm, Sunday, April 24, 2016 at Restland Funeral Home. Service at 1 pm, Monday, April 25, 2016 at Restland Memorial Chapel. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243.
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