Palestine, Texas - Celia Hoy (Owen) Smith was born June 21, 1926, in Lufkin, Texas to Freddie (Montgomery) and Hoy Owen. She shared her birthday with her twin brother, Jack DeVoy Owen. No one loved birthdays more than Celia, who joyfully celebrated her 99th birthday with friends and family just six short weeks ago. She left this earthly home for her heavenly one on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

At age six, during the Great Depression, her family returned to land her mother had inherited at Tennessee Colony, Texas. She shared many stories of the great education they received in the one-room school as well as wonderful times they had doing chores and playing in the creek in that small community where everyone knew everyone. When high school rolled around, the Tennessee Colony kids rode the bus into town to attend Palestine High School. Celia had grown into quite the beauty both inside and out. Just recently an underclassman told her family that guys lined the sidewalk every morning just to watch her get off the bus, so no one was surprised when she was selected as Cutest Girl and Queen of the PHS Coronation her senior year. She graduated from PHS in 1943 and continued her education at Nixon Business College where she excelled in all four subjects. During high school she met the love of her life, Dale H. Smith and they both fell hopelessly in love, but WWII got in the way.

Their engagement and wedding is the stuff of a Hallmark movie. It involves an engagement ring purchased at the Pearl Harbor Commissary; a commanding officer giving a young sailor permission to send it home; getting special permission from the ship's admiral to be the only one granted shore leave in San Francisco to make good on the ring from Hawaii; catching a military cargo flight to Mineral Wells; family members pooling gas ration coupons and driving all night in the only car with tires good enough to make the journey; arriving back in Palestine at dawn on Sunday morning; calling her best friend, Virginia Carroll Crawford in Denton at 3am and asking her to bring a dress and get on a bus, because if her mom agreed, there was going to be a wedding that afternoon; a sailor having to ask for her hand from a reluctant mother; the minister agreeing to a Sunday afternoon church wedding; at 1pm the County Clerk opening the Courthouse on a Sunday to issue their marriage license (with her mom's signature); Kolstad Jewelers opening so they could purchase rings; Pryor's Men's Shop and The Jay Shop opening so that the sailor and his bride could buy a few things; airing out the white coronation dress; borrowing a bolt of white tulle from the florist that you couldn't cut so you bunched and draped to make a veil; calling the often gossipy local switchboard operator and telling her to let everyone know that there was a wedding at 6pm at First Christian Church; getting married in a

church packed wall to wall at a total cost including flowers of $10; taking a three night honeymoon in Tyler with your brother-in-law and his wife; another trip to put the groom on another plane back to his ship in San Francisco Harbor; and the long 18 months before he would finally come home again. This was the hectic beginning of 60 beautiful years together building a family and a business, Palestine Concrete Tile, where Celia was the bookkeeper until her retirement.

Celia found joy in being a Christian, her family, accounting, gardening, flowers and bridge. Celia was a deeply religious woman and always filled with a joyous spirit. She was a lifelong student of the Bible and taught adult Sunday School Classes at First Christian and later at First Methodist. She was a member of the Pionette Garden Club, Literary Circle, Harvey Women's Club, Newcomer's Club, the Mystic Krewe of Revelry and the Methodist Women's Group. She received the WE CARE Good Neighbor Award. She loved travel and had a well-stamped passport to prove it. She was an excellent bridge player and had seven standing games a month. She played her last game just seven days before her death with three of her dearest friends. "Sugar" dearly loved her family they were the embodiment of her joy. If you knew her, you probably saw the "Joy Finger" every time she was with those she loved and was having fun and quite possibly a glass (or two) of wine. It was her right index finger pointed up and spiraling to the sky accompanied by twinkling eyes a little shout of joy laced, with a giggle. Her family saw it every time we came together. "Sugar" loved birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving and any other opportunity to be with her family where we all heard her epic pre-dinner prayers. All those times are forever changed with her passing, but we're all changed because of her joyful approach to life.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Dale Harding Smith, brothers Eugene Owen and Jack Owen, and grandson, J.P. Moody. Celia leaves behind her four children to continue her legacy of joy: Linda Allison and husband Charles of Bay City, Texas; Sherry Smith of Flint, Texas; Dale Wayne Smith and wife, Brenda, and Danny Smith and wife Dorenda of Palestine; grandchildren, Joe Allison(Erandi), Chad Moody, Camille Kruse (Trent), Owen Smith (Jennifer), Evan Smith(Caitlyn), Aaron Smith (Lindsay) and honorary granddaughter Stacey Moynahan (Kevin); great-grandchildren, Ryann Allison, Elliot Moody, Banks Moody, Willow Kruse, Ian Smith, Ava Allison, Eileigh Smith, Ellison Smith, Alayna Allison, Anders Smith, Rylan Hoffman and honorary great-grandson Emmett Moynahan; and a great-great-granddaughter on the way; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank Greg Neel, Trina Treadwell, Shelby Moore, Tracy Finn and the entire Windermere family of employees who made the last five years of her daily life very special even down to her last breath. We also acknowledge the loving and compassionate care provided by Heart to Heart Hospice during this last month of her life.

The joyful celebration of her life, led by Pastor Geoff Lightsey was held on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at First Methodist Church in Palestine. She was laid to rest at Roselawn Park Cemetery under the direction of Herrington Land of Memory Funeral Home. Pallbearers were Joe Allison, Chad Moody, Trent Kruse, Owen Smith, Evan Smith and Aaron Smith.

Memorial donations may be made to the following funds at First Methodist Church Palestine: Methodist Mission Weekends, the Landscaping Fund or the Altar Flower Fund.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4

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