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Shirley Ann Brakebill Smart |
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Thursday, 22 May 2008 |
Shirley Ann Brakebill Smart of Bryant was born May 6, 1943, in Wichita Falls, Texas to June Bruce and Jessie Lewis Brakebill.
On May 21, 2008, her beautiful spirit entered into the gates of Heaven. Shirley graduated from Wichita Falls High School in 1961. She attended Midwestern State University and was a member of Lamar Baptist Church in Wichita Falls. At tage 17, she met a handsome service man, who was a sweet country boy from Bauxite, Ark. Larry D. Smart was stationed at Shepherd Air Force Base in Wichita Falls. Larry went out on a blind date as a favor to his roommate. You see, Larry was never going to marry or, heaven forbid, ever have children. A year after Larry returned from service in Thule, Greenland, they were married on Aug. 11, 1962. They spent a year of service in California before moving back to Saline County and settling in Bryant.
Aug. 8, 1966, she gave birth to their son, David Wayne. She was such a proud mom, as he played sports and then signed with the Arkansas Razorbacks football team and then as he finished his degree in finance and started his own contruction business. After years of worry and prayer, she was blessed on Sept. 30, 1995, with a beautiful “daughter”-in-law, Caryn, whom she just adores. Sept. 29, 1970, she gave birth to their daughter, Cathy Ann. She would brag about how she now had her own personal nurse after Cathy became a registered nurse. On Aug. 2, 2003, she received the gift of her son-in-law, Tony Fletcher. One of her greatest joys was “picking on him and him picking back!” Tony also gave her a grandson, T.J. Fletcher. Oh, how she loved T.J.’s red hair!
Shirley is currently a member of First Baptist Church of Bryant. She attended Indian Springs Baptist Church for 20 years where she served as church clerk, Sunday school teacher and children’s department director and sang in the choir. Shirley worked in civil service at the Little Rock Air Force Base before becoming a stay at home mom and the “Avon Lady” which she was known for 35 years in the Bryant area, serving a number of years as assistant district manager. She then worked and retired from the Arkansas State Department of Health, payroll division. Shirley was always involved in every aspect of her kid’s lives, from being a past president of the Bryant PTA, Director of the Our Little Miss Pageant Program, Cub Scout Leader, Booster Club mom, softball coach, chauffer and “Mom” to every teenager at Indian Springs Baptist Church. Lots of folks will always remember being chauffeured around in that old two-tone brown van or the church bus and hanging out at the house eating her famous cheese dip!
Today she is reunited with her parents; her in-laws, Dub and Alma Smart; her sister, Mary Helen Foutch; and her baby grandson, Cody Brice, who she is rocking for the very first time!
Although Larry, David, Caryn, Cathy, Tony and T.J. are saddened with her departure from this earth, they rejoice that her sick body and mind are now totally healed! She is singing with choirs of angels, dancing on streets of gold and seeing her Lord Jesus face to face! Shirley also leaves behind her very special cousins, “The Denim Sisters” and their families, Thelma and Tommy Jackson of Ft. Worth, Texas, Nancy and Jimmy Robinson and Patsy and Charlie Rogers of Wichita Falls, Texas as well as may other family and friends. And we can’t forget her precious and constant companion, Prissy, who she loved so dearly.
Graveside service will be held at Forest Hills Cemetery in Alexander at 10 a.m. Friday, May 23, 2008, with Bro. Phillip Miller officiating.
Pallbearers will be Steve Lawson, Shane Broadway, Tom Harris, Phil Edmonson, Don Woods and Shorty Moore. Honorary pallbearers are The Ed Love Sunday school class and Phil Harris.
Shirley will lie in state at Roller-Ballard Funeral Home. The family will receive friends and family at First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. today, May 22, 2008.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, New Construction Fund, 401 Reynolds Road, Bryant, AR 72022.
Online guest book: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com.
Family comments: A special thank you to her favorite doctors: Jeff Mayfield, Kathy Parnell and Eric Bravo at Baptist Health. And we can never say thank you enough to the Saline Memorial Hospital Hospice and Dr. Cartaya for the wonderful TLC we all received during the last two weeks. You will forever hold a very special place in the heart of the Smart Family.
PAID OBITUARY |
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Razorbacks