Ethel Lawson

Ethel Mae Smith-Lawson (Steel), 80, born Aug. 25, 1933 in Jay, Oklahoma to Rev. Lee Roy Smith and Rev. Marian Frances Beal (Smith) Emerine. She joined her family on Apr. 1, 2014 in El Paso, Texas. She married Dr. James A. Steel on May 25, 1954 in Garfield, NM and pursued a nursing degree in Las Cruces, NM in 1968. James and Ethel resided in Hatch, NM, where James was the local doctor, for over 40 years. Ethel was preceeded in death by her parents, her husband James; son, Richard; and her sister, Mary Jane Thomason of Hatch, NM and brother, Herald B. Smith of Oklahoma City, OK. She is survived by her daughter, Carol (Chris) Shepherd of El Paso, TX; son, Gordon (Sandi) Steel of Las Cruces, NM; son, Dr. Samuel L. Steel of Las Cruces, NM; 9 grandchildren : Larry Lyannas, Mark David Perry, Cathy Steel-Hands, Jason Steel, Erica Maroney, Tabitha Chapman, and Kimbra Snyder, Steven Shepard; and 13 great-grandchildren: Concetta Perry-Paul, Joseph Perry-Paul, Natalie Perry, Arianna Chapman, and Christian, Kyra, and Jon Verela, Schylar King, Ethan and Jay Ryan Hands, Sebastian LeBrada-Steel, David Lee Lyannas, Sarah Nicole Boot-Grimes and James Alexander Steel. Services and Interment will be private. Services entrusted to Sunset Funeral Home Northeast.