Mabel Jane Smith

Mabel J. Smith, 89, a resident of Olympia, Washington since 1960, died January 10, 2015. Mabel was born May 3, 1925 to Elver D. Corning and Alta Faye (Snyder) Corning in Whitmore, Colorado. She attended Tribble Grade School, a one room schoolhouse. Due to her father being an oil well driller, her family moved around a lot so she attended numerous schools until graduating from White Oak High School in Greggton, Texas in 1944.

Mabel married Paul E. Smith on March 2, 1944 in Longview, Texas. Paul was from Yakima, Washington but stationed in Longview with the Army. She married Paul before she graduating from high school. Paul died on May 30, 1987.

She worked for fruit packing companies in Yakima, Washington. Then they moved to Tacoma in 1950 where she worked for Parkland Realty. In 1960 she started working for Sunset Life Insurance until her retirement in 1986. She also was the bookkeeper for the family business: Smith Janitor Service.

First and foremost Mabel loved her family and enjoyed spending time with them. She enjoyed traveling to family reunions always bringing cheesecake and lemon cake which were a favorite. She also enjoyed going to Reno, hook rugs, going to car races, watching WWF (World Wrestling Federation) and country music.

She is survived by her children Shirley (Dan) Watson, Dave (Barb) Smith, and Rosanne (Kevin) Jones. Her grandchildren Tammy, Paul, Shanna, Jennifer, Preston, Misty and Thomas, and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, four brothers (Clyde, Pete, Dean and Kenneth) and two sisters (Verna and Dorothy) and one grandson. She was the last surviving sibling in her family.