Violet Maxine Smith

July 31, 1928 - December 22, 2020

On Tuesday, December 22, 2020, Violet Maxine Smith, age of 92 and beloved mother of two children, Pam, and Wade, closed her eyes for the last time here on earth and opened her eyes in heaven. Violet was known to all as Mickey, a nickname given to her by her father. Mickey was born on July 31, 1928 in Athens, TX to Roy and Cora Belle Tanner. She and her family moved to Palestine, Texas where she graduated high school in 1945. On April 29, 1953, she married Wade L. Smith Jr. They moved to Rockdale, Texas in 1954 where they raised their two children, Pam, and Wade. Mickey worked many years in Rockdale as a Merle Norman beauty consultant and as the front desk clerk at the Kountry Inn Motel. Mickey moved to Temple in 2006 where she lived in her home on North 7th Street until November 2017 when she moved to Mercy House, a memory care facility in Temple. The staff of Mercy House loved her like a member of their own family and took wonderful care of her until her death. Mickey had a passion for gardening and watching the birds and squirrels in her back yard. She loved watching and feeding the birds and observing the squirrels steal food from the bird feeders. She especially loved and was so proud of the beautiful flowers in her landscape. She had an infectious smile and was known to all for her playful attitude and generous, kind, and compassionate spirit. Mickey was preceded in death by her husband Wade with whom she was married for 52 years until his death in 2006. She was also preceded in death by her parents Roy and Cora Belle Tanner, her sister Martha, and brothers Don and Harold. She is survived by her daughter Pam Carder along with husband Randy and sons Ben, Aaron, and his wife Meaghan. She is also survived by her son Wade and his son Garrett, daughter Kaylee Seale along with husband Southern and children Sofia and Southern. A private graveside service will be held in the afternoon on Monday, December 28, 2020. Phillips and Luckey Funeral Directors of Rockdale, Tx are in charge of the internment. The Reverend Gary Baxley, Chaplain of the Amedisys Hospice Service, will preside at the graveside service.