Shirley Ruth Evans Smith

Services will be 11:00 AM Saturday, April 6, 2024 at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, 2703 Boxankle Road, Forsyth, Georgia 31029. Reverend McArthur Childs is the pastor and Reverend Eddie Collier is the eulogist. Burial in Monroe Hill Memorial Gardens, 1010 Main Street, Forsyth, Georgia. Service is scheduled to be Streamed Live on our Facebook Page.
Public viewing will be Friday, April 5, 2024 from 2-5 PM. Visitation with family will be from 5-7 PM. Keep the family in prayer.
Our dear beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt, Shirley Ruth Evans Smith, was born on March 5,1938 to Reverend Willie and Hattie Lou Evans in Forsyth, Georgia, the 6th of 11 siblings. She departed this life on April 1, 2024.
Shirley lived a rich and full life in Forsyth, Georgia. She graduated from Hubbard High School in 1956 and joined Mt. Gilead Baptist church at an early age and devoted her life to Christ. She married Reverend Alonzo Smith in 1957. They had 3 children, Alonzo Jr., Janice and Ronny. She served as a dedicated First Lady of Annis Chapel Baptist Church in Eastman, Georgia, Mt. Haven Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia, and Richland Baptist Church in Fort Valley, Georgia, where she was a prayer warrior and ministered to all. For 21 years, Shirley built a career at the William Carter Company in Forsyth, working her way up from a sewing machine operator to personnel supervisor.
Shirley embedded God's love in everything she did. She had a kind and generous spirit, and always had a smile on her face. Family and friends were always gathered around her table for food, encouraging words, and to be filled by her joyful spirit. She always said family was her greatest love and she served faithfully as the matriarch of the Evans and Smith families. Shirley was simply extraordinary, living fully into her God-given purpose and talents. To meet her was to love her.
She served faithfully on the Monroe Library Board, Minister's Wives' Alliance of Monroe County, Missionary Ministry at Mount Gilead (President), Hospital Pink Lady Auxiliary, Fingers of Love Ministry (Crochet Circle), and many voter registration drives. Shirley had a magnificent green thumb, loved gardening, traveling, spending time with family, and crocheting while watching a good Hallmark or Lifetime movie.
Shirley is preceded in death by her father, Reverend Willie Evans, mother, Hattie Lou Evans, husband Reverend Alonzo Smith, brothers Rufus, John, Edison, James, Vince and Roosevelt (Jack), and sister Mary.
She leaves behind: three children, Alonzo (Sharon) Smith, Jr., Janice (Kenneth) Slaughter, and Ronny (Gerri) Smith; nine grandchildren, Roderic Smith, Alonnah Smith, Artie (AJ) Gardner, Christal Slaughter, James Slaughter, Keenan Hogan, Kartina Dent, Derrick Edge, Shawn Dent; three great grandchildren; one great-great granddaughter; 13 God-children; and three siblings, Eddie Bernice Cunningham, Ralph Evans and Remona (Ron) McDaniel; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was tremendously loved and will forever be missed.
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