Mary Lee Garner Smith

Mary Lee Smith, 80, of Graceville, Florida, passed away on August 24, 2024. Mary Lee Smith was born in Houston County, Alabama, the daughter of the late Marion Franklin Garner and Tiny Etta Sasser Garner. Mary attended Graceville High School. Mary devoted 30 years of her life to working for the State of Alabama. Mary aka Grandma Mary (don’t you dare call her Granny) was a force of nature. She was an absolute spitfire and was never afraid to tell the truth. She was stubborn and tough, but she loved hard and everyone around her knew that. She enjoyed playing her Word Search and “piddling in the yard” even when it was too hot for her to be out there. She loved the ID Channel and anything Alaska related. She loved hummingbirds, so much so that you can’t step foot in her house without seeing at least a dozen decorations with hummingbirds on them. She loved to keep her house tidy until one day she found the love of her life, her fur baby, Bullet. Bullet won her over with his black spot on his eye and he became her companion and best friend. You could argue he was more like her child than a dog. She made sure he had his grooming every two weeks on the dot, his dog toys and only the finest treats. Grandma Mary was able to cook anything with a sense of ease. She could make her world-famous chicken and dumplings, blackberry cobblers, cinnamon pickles and White peas that we will all miss. She loved her family and celebrated with them every holiday. She had 7 grandchildren, Kathryn Estes, Chris Daughtry, Kaci Harris, Mitch Murkerson, Steven Murkerson, BriAnn Joyner and Nate Joyner. She had 11 great grandchildren that were the light of her life. She loved having her annual Easter Egg hunt with all her grandchildren and great grandchildren, and so did Bullet. Grandma Mary lived her life the way that she wanted up to the very end. She would sneak out in the yard even when we told her it was too hot or drive a few towns over when she was told not to go far. She was extremely independent and refused to give that up. However, there were two things she allowed you to help her with and that was her cell phone and tv remote. That help was welcomed weekly. It was as if as soon as you fixed it, she would accidentally scramble it within seconds. She would spend days trying to figure it out on her own until she would finally give up and call for help. Grandma Mary fought for months to get healthy but in the end, Jesus was ready for her to come home. However, we were not ready and will never be able to fill that void, but we have peace in knowing she’s no longer in pain. She is preceded in death by her parents, daughter Sandra Lee “Sandy” Lee, brothers Durell, Kenny, Mickey, sister-in-law Agnes Garner, brother-in-law James Brown. Survived by one son Randy Wayne Joyner (April), daughter Donna Tidwell (Lamar), one brother Billy Garner, two sisters Susie Calloway (James), Shirley Brown, seven grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews and cousins. A Home-going service will be 10 a.m., Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at the Chapel of James & Lipford Funeral Home with Bro. Michael Lawson officiating. Burial will follow in Hodgesville Baptist Church Cemetery with James & Lipford Funeral Home in Graceville directing. The Family will receive friends at the funeral home Wednesday, 9 a.m. until time of service.

Mary Lee Garner Smith

September 9, 1943 - August 24, 2024