As some of you may be aware, my mother, Carmon Ilene Smith, died at 4:15CDT on June 12, at the Northeast Mississippi Medical Center. She was 70.
For those of you who don't know, she had a long and progressive bout with illness, beginning with losing her sight while in the middle part of her life, to end-stage renal disease and kidney problems near the end of it. At the end, she'd been in the hospital for some time, but finally succumbed to an apparent infection that her already-weakened body could not fight off.
Mom was really an inspiration to me. She was an artist, and loved to paint -- I have much of her artwork hanging in my office right now -- but as she lost her sight, she never complained. She never complained about anything, even though I know that dialysis and all the other medical procedures she went through were tough on her emotionally and physically. I doubt I'll ever even half of her stamina, nor even a quarter of my dad's, who through it all, put his own affairs on hold to sit with her day after day after day.
I've been fortunate to be back home to be with her for several years before she died, and am proud to have been here to help my dad and brothers take care of her in her last months. I know she was happy to have me back home, because she told me so.
I'm grateful for the many kind thoughts, prayers, cards, gifts, food, and visits that our family received during this time. I got emails from friends of mine on the Internet that I have never met in person, but whose condolences were no less kind and heart-felt. We received many flowers and tributes, and hundreds of people came to her memorial. The Mississippi State Senate adjourned a session in her memory. At her funeral, we played a song that had been sung at both the funerals of her mother and father, my grandmother and grandfather. Words really can't express how kind everyone has been, and that's something I'll always remember.
There's so much I could say in this post but it is difficult to find the words. It is enough, I think, to simply say that I loved her and I know she loved me.
Ilene Smith
BOONEVILLE – Carmon Ilene Smith, 70, died Friday, June 12, 2009, at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo after an extended illness. She was a member of Little Brown Freewill Baptist Church.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the McMillan Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Mike Fields officiating. Burial will be at Liberty Memorial Gardens.
She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Paul Jack Smith of Booneville; three sons, Jackie Smith (Mary) and Keith Smith, both of Booneville and Jerry Smith (Tammy) of Clinton; and five grandchildren, Carter Smith, Carmen Smith, Jonathan Smith, Jacob Smith and Samantha Smith.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Austin and Vera Price Holder; and one sister, Alene Harris.
Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. today and will continue until service time on Monday.
Reference from the June 14 Obituary page of the Northeast Daily Journal
