Carrol Jean Smith, 95, of Margaret, passed away peacefully Sunday, November 22 in Vernon.

Graveside services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at Crowell Cemetery under direction of Smith Funeral Home of Crowell. The services will be private due to the serious concerns of the corona virus pandemic.

Jean was born June 27, 1925 in Red River County at Avery, as the only child of William Wallace Harvey and Jewell Collvins Harvey.  The last steamboat on the Red River was name the "Bonnie Belle" after Jean's paternal grandmother, Bonnie Belle Harvey.

Jean's mother remarried, and her step father was with the railroad, which resulted in living all across Texas, and subsequently going to school in many towns.  This brought them to West Texas, but after he died of illness in Quanah, Jean and her mother, "Granny Jewell" were left alone again in tough times. After her junior year back in East Texas, at Avery, she spent her senior year at Crowell High.  But after the historic April 28, 1942 tornado demolished Crowell, she graduated in the Crowell Methodist Church with others of the "class of 42". She was just 16.  Her mother married Dink Russell of Margaret and "Jewell and Dink" were long time operators of Russell Grocery in Margaret.

Jean met and married Margaret farmer, Tom Smith, on January 22, 1944, in Vernon.

She was super sharp in math, especially bookkeeping, which included the Margaret Gin, Barker Gin, and Three Star Grain Co. in Thalia. She and Ben Barker formed the Barker-Smith Bookkeeping partnership in Crowell, which included tax service. Their clients were diverse. Jean gave the prominent citizens or poor people the same meticulous attention, and she and Ben each had the same devotion to helping those in need. For more then 50 years, Jean balanced the books for the Foard County News, even from her home each week.

A truly remarkable woman, and although a consummate professional, she would change into "work clothes" and do stoop labor like picking cantaloupes or watermelons in 100 degree plus heat, or moving irrigation pipe. From her business savvy to field hand, Tom, her husband of 67 years, was blessed.  Jean was honored November 3, 2011 with the Family Land Heritage Award from the Texas Department of Agriculture in ceremonies at the Texas State Capitol building, for the Margaret Farm having operated in the same family for more than 100 years.

Survivors include a daughter, Gayle Henderson of Crowell and husband Chuck; a son, J.T. (Jim Tom) Smith and wife Carolyn of Tuscola; four grandchildren, Stan Sweeney and wife Liz of San Antonio; Leigh Ann Wiegert and husband Will of Stafford, Virginia; Lacey Williams and husband Blair of Ovalo; Bridget McCaleb and husband Rodney of Wichita Falls; six great grandchildren, Sean and Kiersten Sweeney, Julian and Katarina Wiegert, and Makyleigh and Bryce Williams.

Jean was preceded in death by husband, Tom, on May 10, 2011.

Memorials can be made in Jean's memory to Margaret Methodist church, in care of Virginia Whatley, PO Box 103, Crowell, Texas 79227.