Belvie Dewett Joyner Smith passed away on 7/22/2019 at The Haven at Windmere in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the result of a massive stroke. She was surrounded by her family and friends at the time of her death.
Dewett Smith was born on May 20, 1928, in Goshen Springs, Mississippi, the tenth of eleven children of Thomas Raymon Joyner and Margaret Brantley Joyner. She graduated from Pisgah High School and attended Draughon Business School, working for Grants, Woolworth, and Kemper Insurance in Jackson, Mississippi, where she lived.
She was married to W. L. “Bill” Smith, Jr. for fifty-four years, and they had two children. In 1983, Dewett and Bill moved to Sand Hill, Mississippi, and built a house on the same land where she had lived as a child. They both enjoyed their life and always shared with neighbors the vegetables they harvested from their garden.
Dewett was known as a hard worker, a frugal budgeter, a gardener, and a wonderful seamstress and quilter who could make something useful and beautiful from fabric others would discard. All of her children and grandchildren have a quilt made by her hands. Many of her great-grandchildren have a blanket made by her. In addition, she exhibited the supreme virtue of the southern woman--an ability to feed people--and was renowned for her homemade biscuits and pecan pies. She also exhibited great patience, praying for more than fifty years for her husband to know the Savior whom she loved. Her prayers were answered when Bill was baptized on the final Easter of his life.
She was predeceased by her husband and nine siblings: Doyle Joyner, Henry Joyner, Luree J. Holmes Haynes, Conolia J. Wade, Noble Joyner, Everett Joyner, Earl Joyner, Martha J. Swihart, and Tom Joyner. She is survived by her sister, Mary Frances J. Strickland of Shreveport, Louisiana; her children Lynn S. Miller (and late husband Tim) of Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Steve Smith (and wife Mary) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; grandchildren Anna Lancaster (and husband Guy) of Little Rock, Arkansas, Caleb Miller of Arlington, Texas, Sam Miller (and wife Elaine) of San Antonio, Texas, Alexander Miller (and wife Chelsea) of Texarkana, Arkansas, Joshua Smith (and wife Jennifer) of Mobile, Alabama, and Daniel Smith (and wife Katherine) of Allen, Texas; and great-grandchildren Gabriel, Max, Abby, Simeon, Charlie, Duncan, Landon, Lyla, Noah, Micah, and Norah Jane. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Her funeral service will be at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home, in Pearl, Mississippi on July 26, 2019 with visitation from noon to 1 PM and funeral service at 1 PM. Burial will follow at Lakewood Memorial Garden, South Jackson. Additionally, there will be a visitation on July 25, 2019 from 5 to 8 PM.
For their extraordinary, professional, and compassionate care, the family would like to express their gratitude to the entire staff at The Haven, to Audubon Hospice, and to Dr. Edmund Vinci and his staff.
