Mozelle Baston Smith, 90, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died Saturday, October 12, 2019, at Irwin County Hospital in Ocilla, Georgia.
Graveside services will be held 11 AM, Saturday, October 19, 2019, at Evergreen Cemetery, in Fitzgerald, Georgia, with the Rev. Dr. Lloyd Stembridge officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the services at the funeral home in Fitzgerald.
Mrs. Smith was born December 26, 1928, in Fitzgerald, Georgia, to the late Charles C. & Thelma Coffey Baston. She worked with her husband in the family business and also with Allied Department Stores, Tolleson Lumber Company and the Ben Hill County School system. Mrs. Smith was a member of Arbor Baptist Church where she was a Sunday School teacher, sang in the choir and held leadership roles in WMU along with serving in the Ben Hill-Irwin WMU Association.
When Mozelle married Herbert, she became a member of Herbert’s large extended family. Herbert’s parents, Will & Carrie Smith, had 9 children. They had seven sons: Lawrence (Ruth), Boyce (Isabelle), Bill (Marcelle), Hugh (Ruby), J.D. (Virginia), Herbert (Mozelle), and Ernest (Glendora) and two daughters: Margaret McElmurray (Mac) and Irene. While Ernest lived in Gainesville, Florida and Irene lived for a number of years in Warner Robins, Fitzgerald was always home to this family. The other seven children lived most of their adult lives and raised their families in Fitzgerald. This large family added to the fabric of life in Fitzgerald holding diverse and essential jobs such as grocers, farmers, a carpenter, a nurse, a teacher, a media specialist, school aides, letter carriers, insurance salesmen, and entrepreneurs. They were caring parents and vital members of the community. The Will & Carrie Smith family were a hard-working family but they also loved their churches and their music. Family get-togethers often included singing together with some members playing musical instruments and several more having beautiful singing voices. Mozelle was the last member of this generation of Smiths and will be greatly missed.
She is survived by a son, Ted Smith of Warner Robins; a sister, Linda Baston Hobbs of Columbus and three grandchildren: Lisa & Rod Jones of Atlanta, Wendy & Derek Kline of Cumming and David & Makayla Smith of Los Angeles, California. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert Wesley Smith; a son, Charles Herbert “Chuck” Smith; her step-mother, Susie Carter Baston and a sister, Joyce Carolyn Baston.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests those desiring to send memorials, may send them to Arbor Baptist Church, 1137 North Merrimac Drive Ext., Fitzgerald, Georgia, 31750.