Barbara "Queenie" Merle (Weisiger) Smith

Some people can make anything grow. Barbara was that kind of a person. To say she had a green thumb would be selling her skills mightily short. True, her flowers, gardens, and yard were renowned for their color and the way she maintained them, but it wasn’t just plants that she brought to life. She had a way with everything and everyone around her, including herself.

Born in Victoria, Texas in 1933, amidst the Great Depression, she knew how to stretch a meal, sew beautifully, dance (which she taught at one point in her late teens and early twenties), stay steady in a crisis and entertain on a budget. She was frugal—meticulously so—and taught her children Denise, Dugan, and Darden not only how to balance a checkbook by hand, but insisted they do so every month, checking their math to make sure it was done right.

Perhaps ‘meticulous’ is a good way to describe her in general. Her house was always clean, with the dishes washed, clothes folded, grocery list up to date and bills paid on time. And she did all of this while managing the schedule of her family. She cared about her clothes, and was known for her sense of style, be it on the tennis court, out for an evening, or just an afternoon at home. Even in her later years, as her health began to decline, visitors could not help but notice how she ‘dressed’ every day, with hair, make-up, and clothes put together, complete with simple jewelry and shoes. Never fancy, just right.

In her mid-40’s, when her children were teenagers and beginning to leave home, she began her own career, working as an assistant in a real estate office and later became a successful commercial property manager in Kingwood, Texas. Barbara was very proud of her career. Driven by her desire to be recognized on her own merits, she worked hard and put in long hours when needed. She was good at her work and she brought to it that same level of laser-focused attention to detail that she did to every other aspect of her life. Known as a tough but kind negotiator and task master, everyone from tenants to contractors respected Barbara for her ability to be fair but unafraid to point out when you forgot to take care of some small detail in your contract.

Barbara listened when you spoke to her. She knew how to have a conversation, and when you were talking with her, she had a way of making you feel like you were the most important person in the room. Despite limited traveling and an education that consisted of high school and continuing education classes, Barbara maintained an innate curiosity throughout her life. This drive for knowledge kept her interested in not only what was happening in your life, but the world in general.

She loved her family and was fiercely loyal and devoted. Though her marriage to Granvel ended in divorce, the two of them loved and respected each other to the end. As Denise, Dugan and Darden became adults with their own families and various successes and struggles, she rarely offered advice unless asked. She watched from afar, always wanting to know how their lives were progressing, falling apart and coming back together. She was there when needed, but never forced herself into a situation. But if in fact she was asked, or she recognized that one of her children needed help, she would show up with everything she had. Picking up the pieces, dusting them off a bit—even when they were adults—and she was always, always caring.

Because she was quite busy on her own (thank you very much!) after “retiring,” she only seemed to speed up, finally taking the cruises she had dreamed of, traveling to be with her grandchildren (and their children as well), and getting more active in her church and social groups in Kingwood. One of the constants in her life was exercise, and she walked, stretched, even did yoga, daily. Up to the very end, she prided herself in walking the halls on each of the three floors of The Oaks in Georgetown every day, sometimes multiple times.

She was strong in her faith, never ceasing to look deeper into her Christian roots and the teachings of the Bible. When her home was destroyed in Hurricane Harvey, and later when cancer began to manifest, not only did she not lose this faith, but it seemed to grow stronger. She believed that Jesus was with her on her path, and that there was a reason for any suffering as well as joy, even if she couldn’t see those reasons clearly. She trusted in her faith, and this was not only a great comfort, but a constant driver to look for ways to better her life.

Barbara Merle Weisiger Smith was born on September 19, 1933 in Victoria, Texas to Sidney and Hilda Weisiger. She is survived by her children Denise Farquhar, Dugan Smith, Darden Smith, her ex-husband Granvel Smith, grandchildren Jessica Ehrig, Megan Seimetz, Eli Smith, Willa Smith, and three great-grandchildren, Elliot and Otto Ehrig and Tatum Seimetz. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother Robert Weisiger and her grandson, Garet Smith. Always one for timing, Barbara passed away on Easter Sunday, April 4th, 2021.

Which brings us back to the part about growing. Barbara’s ability to make a dead Ficus tree come back to life reflected her attitude about life in general. In her eyes, with the right amount of love, nurturing, attention to detail, possibly a bit of pruning and always with a positive attitude, one could get through a setback and make it to a better place. Through her faith, intelligence, curiosity, and enthusiasm for the future, Barbara never stopped becoming. It was the one thing she always wanted for herself, and we can all rest assured it’s what she would want for us today and for years to come

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 1:00 pm at Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home. For those unable to attend, services will be live-streamed on Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home of Georgetown's Facebook page. To access the service, please locate the page on Facebook and like the page. Streaming will begin at approximately 12:55.