Smith, Jean
SMITH, Jean Jean Smith was born in Miami Florida on May 10, 1930, to Emily Lorine Muns and Solomon Louis Muns and was the youngest of 7 children. They and their oldest son Louis are buried in a cemetery in Dublin, GA. She attended Little River Elementary and Miami Edison High School. Jean moved to a farm in Rentz, GA at age 15 and attended Dublin High School. Graduated in 1947 as Valedictorian and won a multi-county scholarship to attend GSCW. Taught 6th Grade in Jeffersonville, GA, went to Summer School at GSCW for 2 Summers and was able to return to GSCW to earn a BS in Education in 1951. Taught 4th Grade in Millen, GA then moved to Albany, GA for another 3 years of teaching. Met Albert Smith there on a blind date. They went to the FSU Circus. Six months later they married on November 22, 1953. Their first child Debra was born in December 1955 in Albany, GA. In December 1956 they moved to Atlanta for Albert's work. Albert knew a few people from his time at Emory University. They joined University Heights Methodist Church during which time their son Ed was born in July 1958 and their daughter Diane was born in February 1962. They moved their membership to Oak Grove UMC in 1963 as it was closer and more of the neighborhood children went there. As the children were growing up Jean worked several part-time jobs such as alterations, office work, at a gift shop, and at a Tea Room and Catering business in Decatur, GA. Several years helping people at Kingsbridge Retirement Community with alterations. She made many friends through her sewing. Their son Ed died suddenly in a motorcycle accident in June 1979 at age 21. In January 1994, Albert died of a heart attack. Through both of these, Oak Grove UMC was so supportive from Sunday School to UMW to all other groups of which she was a part. In 1985 she returned to teaching as a Para Pro working with Hearing Impaired children at Henderson Mill Elementary School. She was happy to return to teaching where she stayed for 15 years. At the end of school in the year 2000, she retired to be able to help her daughter Debra after a knee replacement. Her daughter had been widowed 2 years prior. Jean spent several years traveling with her friend Doris Lovell enjoying retirement. In December 2010 she received the bad news that Diane, her youngest daughter, had died suddenly. She was 48. Shortly after, her husband suffered a heart attack. A week later Debra broke her hip. Jean had been helping Debra part-time before this but this began four years of long days as she gradually got worse. She died in March of 2015 Jean has been living in the Northlake area and working with Oak Grove UMC. Survivors include her grandchild Lori Creviston and 3 great-grandchildren Annabelle Benoit, Zoe Benoit, and Sophia Holcombe as well as her grandchildren Kyle Mangum, Rachel Mangum, and Kate Mangum, and her son-in-law Don Mangum. A graveside service will be held on Friday, July 17th, at 2:00 pm at Floral Hills Memory Gardens at 3000 Lawrenceville Hwy, Tucker, GA 30084. There will be a Memorial Service at a later date (TBA) at Oak Grove UMC.
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Funeral Home Information
Floral Hills Memory Gardens
3000 Lawrenceville Highway
Tucker, GA
30084
