February 2, 1944 - January 21, 2021
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Carolyn Ann Reed Smith passed away on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at the age of 76.
Carolyn Ann Reed Smith was born in Burnet, Texas on February 2, 1944, to James Dorman and Frances Snow Reed. She was raised on the family farm at Oatmeal which was part of her greatgreat grandfather James Carmichael’s and Sarah A. McFarland Hill’s land grant.
The property has been passed down through the family for five generations and is still owned by Carolyn and her siblings. Having lived her entire life in Burnet County, she and Bill spent their retirement years back at the family farm.
As a toddler, she loved to have everyone read books to her, and before long she had the books memorized and read them back to everyone. She excelled in her schoolwork and graduated from Bertram High School in May of 1962 as Class Valedictorian. She began her working career as a Secretary at the Lower Colorado River Authority in Austin. It was a position that she was selected for by then Vice President, Lyndon Baines Johnson. From there, she became the first female to work at the Bertram PEC Office and then became City Secretary for the City of Bertram where she retired after nearly 30 years.
Carolyn met the love of her life in high school, Billy Dee Smith and they were married August 10, 1962. During their 58 years of marriage, they resided in the Oatmeal and Bertram area where they raised their two children, Ricky and Sarah.
Carolyn was very active in community organizations. She was a founding member of the Oatmeal Festival, as well as a member of the Friends of the Bertram Library, Oatmeal Extension Education Club, Bertram American Legion Auxiliary, Burnet County Historical Commission, 4-H leader, and a devoted supporter of the Burnet County Area Fair. She was a lifetime member of the Oatmeal Church of Christ.
She is predeceased by her parents, Dorman and Frances Reed, and her daughter, Sarah Jean Smith.
She is survived by her husband, Billy Dee Smith, son Ricky D. (Misty) Smith, granddaughter Rylie L. Smith, sister Lynda (Fred) French, brother Ronny (Nancy) Reed, nieces Connie (Tim) Stuteville and Frances (David) Johns, nephew James A. Reed, great nephew Cooper Stuteville, Brothers-In-Law Roger (Kathy) Smith and family and Don (Cathy) Smith; Sister-In-Law Darlene (David) Gerka and family, numerous cousins, and many close friends.
A visitation to celebrate Carolyn’s life was held Saturday, January 23, at the Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 306 E. Polk Street, Burnet. A graveside service was held at the Mt. Zion Cemetery on Sunday, January 24.
Honarary pallbearers were Tim Stuteville, Cooper Stuteville, James Reed, Alan Marler, David Johns, Joe Harris, Billy Wall and Glen Hopkins.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please consider making a donation to the Friends of the Bertram Library, 170 S. Gabriel Street, Bertram, TX 78605.
