Mary E. Smith

Mary will be in state from 2:00pm – 8:00pm Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home in Temple, Texas. If you would like to visit with Mary’s family, they will be at the funeral home between 4:00pm and 7:00pm Tuesday for visitation.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 2:00pm at Greathouse Cemetery in Temple, Texas

Mary was born April 4, 1918 in Bell County to Harvey and Goldie McDonald Richardson. She survived two pandemics – 1918 and 2020. She lived all her life around the Temple area. Mary was raised on a farm near Seaton, graduated from Temple High School where she was a member of the tennis team. She married Chester “Chuck” Smith, the love of her life, in December 1935. She was his helpmate for 65 years. Mary worked on their farm doing any job that was needed, then ran Smith Grocery in Academy for 21 years where she also made sandwiches and hamburgers. She and Chuck worked with the 4-H club members and at the livestock shows helping any young people that needed them. Mary was a Sunday school teacher at Heidenheimer Church of Christ, a quilter, an artist, well known in the community for her pie, a homemaker, and a mother.

She was preceded in death by her husband Chuck, a son James Chester; a great-grandson, Gus Smith; her parents, and all six brothers, Eli, Hulon, Preston, Buford, Louis, and Marvin Richardson.

Mary is survived by a daughter, Mary Lou Smith Garner and husband Mike of Pflugerville; two sons, C.A. Smith, Jr. and wife Susan of Belton and Tim Smith and wife Diane of Stephenville, 8 grandchildren; Jim Garner, Malynn Garner McVicker, Jeff Garner, Jennifer Smith, Chet Smith, Vanessa Smith Mason, Keri Behrends, Michael Norris, 16 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers memorials to the Ronald McDonald House Charities or to Dell Children's Medical Center 4900 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX 78723 would be appreciated.