Mary went in peace and with great joy to be with her Lord and Savior on July 11th in Clinton, MS. Born Mary Elizabeth Smith on 1/13/17 in Birmingham, AL, to the late Mary Beatrice Bearden and William Henry Smith, Mary was a long time resident of Miami-Dade County, having graduated Miami Senior High at the height of the Great Depression. For decades, she was a devoted member of Shenandoah Presbyterian Church, the bookkeeper at Granada Presbyterian and later at The Old Cutler Presbyterian Church. Her great loves were serving her Lord by holding and rocking the infants in the nursery at church, singing in the choir, and being a Christian witness, friend and matron to each person she met. Her loving, motherly spirit will remain an inspiration for thousands but especially her own family. She is survived by five of her children: Mary E. (Beth) Bondurant, [Bob] of Huntington, WV; Paul M. Rose [Lori] of Fernandina Beach, FL; John H. Rose of Clinton, MS; Timothy R. Rose [Suzanne] of Miami; and Rebecca B. Parrott, [Carl] of Greer, SC. Mary was predeceased by her eldest son, James W. Rose [Linda] formerly of Rolla, MO. She also leaves 17 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and many, many more extended family members in the Lord. A celebration of her life of service will be held at The Old Cutler Presbyterian Church at 14401 Old Cutler Road on Saturday, August 11th at 2:00 P.M. Donations may be made to the charity of choice or to The Old Cutler Presbyterian Church, 33158. "Be of good cheer, daughter, your faith has made you well." Matt. 9:22
Published in Miami Herald on July 17, 2012
