Juanita Elizabeth (Murray) Smith

Juanita Elizabeth (Murray) Smith, 88, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Friday, April 17, 2020, in Dripping Springs, Texas. She had lived in the Hill Country Nursing Home for the past six years after her husband, Jack Nelson Smith, passed away in January 2014.

Juanita was born and raised in Three Rivers, Texas, where she lived until she went to college at the University of Corpus Christi. While Attending college, she met Jack, and the two were married December 23, 1949. Afterwards, the Smiths moves to the Elm Grove community. South of Brownwood, Texas, where they raised registered angora goats and poled Herfords on their ranch. They were members of the Elm Grove Baptist Church. Juanita and Jack lived in Elm Grove until 1955 when a severe drought forced Jack to find a job in the oil industry. From there, they resided in a thread of communities – Alice, McAllen, Refugio, Freer, and, finally, Houston. In every town, Juanita and Jack became faithful leaders in the local Baptist church. Juanita was a Godly woman who exemplified virtuous qualities found in the Proverbs 31 woman. The perfect mother to her three children and homemaker to her husband, Juanita spent her days cooking wonderful meals and sewing clothes. In later years, she took up a new hobby and excelled at porcelain oil painting. Juanita and her husband were also Deuteronomy 6:4-9 parents, setting an example of what it means to love God and pass Him on to one’s children.

As an accomplished pianist, Juanita played the piano at church for the sheer enjoyment of it. Her children remember times where their parents sang duets in church. Juanita and Jack greatly enjoyed harmonizing their beautiful voices and were likened to Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Later, Juanita played residents’ favorite hymns in her nursing home, as everyone gathered to sing with her.

Juanita is survived by her daughter, Grathan Brant and husband Guy of Houston, Texas; her son Jerome Smith and wife Jan of Katy, Texas; and her daughter Deborah Font and husband Kevelin, of Dripping Springs, Texas. She is also survived by her siblings, sister Mary Ann Kimball and husband Grady, of Dallas, Texas; and her brother Raymond Murray and wife Sueanne of Akins, Texas. Juanita also leaves behind five grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.

The family would like to express sincere gratitude to the caregivers at Hill Country Nursing Home and Rehab Facility, for all their love and care for her during the last six years, and to Heart to Heart Hospice for their kindness, guidance, and support.

A graveside service will be conducted at Cox Cemetery, near Mercury, Texas, after pandemic restrictions are lifted.