Mary Sue Smith

Mary Sue Smith was born in January 1934, a few minutes before her twin sister, Martha, in the small cotton mill town of Bemis, Tennessee. When she was 3 years old, Mary's father left their family without warning, leaving them in poverty. Her mother had six children to provide for, including a 1-year-old. When Mary’s oldest brother joined the navy, he sent $25 each month to their mother, so they could buy a little home with 3 rooms-- a front room, a bedroom, and a kitchen that had no cabinets. There was no indoor plumbing, just an outdoor hand pump for water. The toilet was an outhouse in the backyard.

When Mary was 13 years old, her mother remarried. The water pump was upgraded to an electric one, but water still had to be fetched from outside. Mary liked chopping wood and making the fire in the cook stove. The house was added onto a few times to become a 3-bedroom home with an indoor bathroom and a wide hallway where all of their bottled or frozen vegetables from their big garden were stored. They had many meatless meals with plenty of vegetables and homemade biscuits, which her mother became famous for. They never had a car. They walked, rode the bus, or caught rides with other people. They had groceries delivered, as well as ice blocks for their cold storage.

It's pretty funny to think of tiny Mary playing basketball, but she enjoyed playing guard during her high school's organized P.E. games. She also liked to run, and her children did, too! Mary got married at age 17. She had three children, Jerry, Glinda, and Sherry, then divorced. Thankfully, her mother was able to care for her children while Mary worked at various jobs.

Mary met her husband, Harland, in a café while she waited for her bus to Bemis. Harland was a young sailor stationed near Memphis. Six months later, in June 1956, they were married at Harland’s mother's home in Salt Lake City. Harland adopted Mary’s three children as his own.

Their family started out in Oxnard, California, where Cindy was born. In 1962, Harland received orders to Oak Harbor, Washington, which was “home” through 1974, aside from a year in Virginia Beach and another year in Memphis. In Oak Harbor, Mary found success selling Avon products door-to-door. She was also involved in the “wives club” of Harland’s naval squadron. Harland retired from the navy after 20 years of service and moved the family to Utah, where they lived in Woods Cross more than 40 years.

In 2018, they moved into a custom home built three doors down from a home Rick and Cindy built the same year. This was an ideal set up for Mary and Harland, in their own home, with their daughter as their nearby neighbor. They moved to Blacksmith Fork Assisted Living in Hyrum barely a year ago, still close to Cindy, less than 10 minutes away.

Mary had unwavering faith in Jesus Christ and in the plan of salvation, and she served with dedication in His church. She was fiercely devoted to her family and doing what she thought was right in every situation. Throughout her life, Mary was a very empathetic person. She helped, lifted, and assisted people however she could, generous with her time, money, home, and love. Everywhere she lived, everyone loved Mary. Many of her children's friends called her "Mom." She loved to laugh and make life fun. She could barely tell something funny because of laughing through it.

Harland and Mary have 8 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Mary was the last living family member of her generation. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Glinda, who she valiantly cared for, and her grandson (Cindy’s baby), Kevin. She was a wonderful wife, mother, and example of how to love. Her influence will live on forever.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Memorial's Redwood Mortuary, located at 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah. A viewing will be held one hour prior to services. Interment; Memorial Redwood Cemetery.