Annie Ruth Bateman Smith, age 93, passed from this life on Friday, October 28, 2022 surrounded by her loving family. Funeral Services are scheduled for Sunday, October 30, 2022 at 3 PM at Lynchburg Funeral Home with burial to follow at Lois Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1 PM until the service time.
Mrs. Smith was one of eight children – six girls and two boys – born to the late Ollie and Ruth Florence Bateman. She was born on March 17,1929. She lived her entire life in Moore County and was a member of the Main Street Church of Christ in Lynchburg.
She was a strong and determined person – always worked hard and always preferred to be outdoors when possible. One might have found her gardening, mowing, weeding, trimming or showing off her beautiful plants. Whatever needed to be done on the outside always took precedence over inside work, however, she was a wonderful cook – she has shared many delicious chocolate pies and prepared many pitchers of the best sweet tea!
She enjoyed traveling the world with close friends in her later years. She loved to laugh – it was infectious to be certain! She worked for many years at the glove factory before she went to work at the distillery – from which she retired.
She married Jonathan Estil Smith and they shared life together for 46 years, though she still counted the years after he passed away – so, that would be nearly 80 years! Together they had three children, Patty, Sheila and Ronnie. They had five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren – the newest born just this year-and countless cousins, nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband, Jonathan Estil Smith; her beautiful daughter, Sheila Tipton; her precious granddaughter, Jenny Mason. Also preceding her were two brothers, Billy and Jack and two sisters, Shirley Gowan and Virginia Parks.
She is survived by her daughter, Patricia Walker; son, Ronnie Smith (Debbie); son-in-law Russ Tipton; sisters, Helen Metcalf, Nancy McGee and Faye Trail; grandchildren, Deanna Belyeu, Natalie Ziatovich (Mitch), Jon Walker, Brandy Norman (Ryan) and great grandchildren, Austin and Walker Belyeu, Jesse Walker, Olivia and Noah Mason, Ragan, Addye and Brixton Norman and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousin and friends.
In lieu of flowers please make memorial donations in her honor to Camp Joy or Lois Cemetery, c/o Nancy Hatfield, 82 Dry Prong Road, Mulberry, TN, 37359.
For online guest registry please visit, www.lynchburgfuneralhome.com
LYNCHBURG FUNERAL HOME IS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS.
