Mary Genevieve (Davis) SMITH

SMITH, OVERBECK, DAVIS, POLMATEER, FREDERICKS, GROVER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/19/2010 at 21:21:54

Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa
September 26, 2006

MASON CITY, IA — Mary G. Smith, 80, of 1418 N. Jefferson Ave., in Mason City, and formerly of Rockwell, died early Sunday evening (Sept. 24, 2006) at the Muse-Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006, at the Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 Second St. S.E. in Mason City with Pastor James Allard officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City. The family will greet relatives and friends from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 Second St. S.E. and continue one hour prior to Mary’s service on Wednesday at the funeral home. Those wishing to extend memorials or expressions of sympathy may wish to direct them to the Mary G. Smith Memorial Fund.

Mary Genevieve Smith was born on July 24, 1926, near Alexander, Iowa, to Lloyd A. and Hattie Alice (Polmateer) Davis. She was the fourth of six children born to her parents. The family moved to Belmond, where Mary was employed at a candy kitchen, bakery and hotel. The family later relocated to Hampton where Mary worked at several businesses including Northrup King Seed Company, Brun’s Inn Café, Ferris Nursery, Finnel’s Dime Store and the corn canning factory. While employed at the corn canning factory, Mary met her future husband, Robert “Bob” Harvey Smith. Mary and Bob were united in marriage on July 23, 1953, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua and resided in Mason City. In January of 1960, Mary and Bob moved to Rockwell. During the 1960s, Mary worked at the Rockwell Laundromat. From 1969 until 1977, Mary tended to many children in her home, providing day care. In August of 1977, Mary accepted a position as a kitchen cook and dietary aide at the Rockwell Community Nursing Home. She retired in 2004 following 27 years of service to the residents and the home. In August of 2005, Mary sold her home and moved to Mason City, first living with her son, Jerry then sharing a home with her daughter, Ladell.

Mary was a devoted wife and nurturing mother and grandmother. In earlier years, Mary and her family would spend many Sundays visiting at her Grandparents Davis’ home. They also treasured many an adventure while camping. Some of Mary’s interests and activities included bird watching, collecting buttons and ceramic birds, visiting with friends, playing cards, especially Canasta or 500 and sitting outside in the evenings, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. She shared a special companionship with her two dogs, Rosie and Sandy. Mary was a renowned quick bread baker. She baked many hundreds of loaves of quick bread, both giving and selling her goods. Her specialty bread and best seller was sour cream quick bread. In Mary’s later years, she looked forward to attending the Adult Day Care Center, visiting with friends, putting together jigsaw puzzles and cheering for the latest contestant on “The Price Is Right.” Mary is described as a woman who was very caring, witty, a great storyteller and she had a wonderful sense of humor. Mary was a former member of the United Methodist Church in Rockwell.

She is survived by her daughter, Ladell Overbeck, of Mason City; her two sons, Leon Smith, of Clear Lake and Jerry Smith (Deborah Smith), of Mason City; her stepson, Michael (Terry) Smith, of Mason City; her brother, Donald Davis, of Dumont; her brother-in-law, Gerald Smith, of Taylorville, Ky. and her sister-in-law, Winifred Fredericks, of Valier, Ill. Mary will also be a cherished memory to her two grandsons, Cory Overbeck and Larry Overbeck, of Mason City; her step-grandchildren, John Smith, Beth Smith and James Smith and numerous other relatives and friends. Preceding Mary in death are her husband, Bob Smith, in September of 1969; her parents, Lloyd and Hattie Davis; her two sisters, Violet Davis and Clara “Toots” Grover; and her two brothers, William “Bud” Davis and Al “Sonny” Davis. Fullerton Funeral Home and Cremation Services.