Mary Oleta Smith

Mary (Oleta) Smith, 104, formerly of Dumas, passed away Monday, October 18, 2021 in Waco after having a stroke. Visitation will be Friday, October 22, 2021 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at Beeson-Morrison Funeral Directors and Celebration of Life Service at 11 am at First Baptist Church, Dumas, TX with Pastor Matt Price officiating. Burial will follow at Northlawn Memorial Gardens.She was born June 20, 1917, in Lockney, TX to Edwin W & Elizabeth Goins Thornton, she was one of 5 siblings. She graduated from Lockney High in 1935, then married her high school sweetheart, Ben Smith in 1936. They were blessed with two children, Evylena and Warren. Ben and Oleta had 51 years together. Oleta was a wife, mother, homemaker, church worker and always ready to be of help to anyone. They lived in Texas City, TX in 1947 when the horrible explosion occurred. It was a terrible experience to bury so many friends within a few days and to endure that trauma. Ben was transferred to Dumas in 1948 with El Paso Natural Gas which gave them 12 great years there. They made many great friends with moving as Ben was transferred from plant to plant—Aneth at Montezuma Creek, UT on the Navajo Reservation-Gallup, NM, Midkiff, TX, Grand Falls, TX, Kermit, TX. At retirement in 1981, they were able to move to beautiful Vallecito, CO until 1988 when they moved back to Dumas due to the “high altitude”. Oleta was legally blind and hearing impaired but stayed active. She enjoyed volunteering at the Gift Shop at the Moore County Memorial Hospital. She was active in the church and especially enjoyed singing with the Happy Timers, her Sunday School class, and able to travel on tours. Another highlight of her life was being involved with the Moore County Senior Center.She loved to travel the beautiful United States. One of things on her bucket list was to visit Washington, D.C. That was accomplished in 2005 for a week to see many historical places, especially the Vietnam Wall, the National Cemetery, and the Changing of the Guards. If you knew her, you knew she was an avid Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboy fan. She attended her first Ranger game at the age of 95 and tried to see the other ones on TV. She was preceded in death by her husband, son Warren, her parents and her four siblings.She is survived by her daughter, Evylena (Dick) Waldren, Debra Waldren, David (Stacie) Waldren, grandchildren Ben & Hadley Waldren, sisters-in-law Naoma, Vera, & Sue Thornton, several nieces, nephews and dear friends. Pallbearers are nephews Jack Rhine, Danny Rhine, Terrell Thornton, Howard Patton, great-grandson Ben Waldren, Special Friend Mike Milligan. The family suggest memorials be made to Moore County Senior Center P.O. Box 2114, Dumas, TX or the Texas Talking Books, P.O. Box 12516, Austin, TX 78711-2516.