Julia Ruth Smith's Obituary
Julia Ruth Smith, 78, formerly of Chattanooga, passed away in the early morning hours on Sunday, July 16, 2023, in Sumner Medical Center in Gallatin, Tennessee. An angel was released from her flesh and gained her heavenly wings. She ascended from this earth and entered the Kingdom of Heaven to be with our Lord and Savior. Our mother, Julia Ruth Smith, left her earthly bound dwelling to begin her eternal life in the house of God. Our Mother lived a life full of Blessings, Love, and Laughter which kept her young until the day the Lord called her home. In her early years, she was a student at Randolph County Training School, in Roanoke, Alabama. As a young adult, she spent many years working as a seamstress at Palm Beach Mfg., and Terry’s Mfg., in Roanoke, Alabama. She completed her working years and retired from Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee. As she traveled her life’s path, given to her from our Heavenly Father, she had multiple distinct honors bestowed upon her. These honors included being a loving daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister-in-law. But her most prestigious honor was being a child of GOD and allowing His Will to be done in and throughout her life. Our beautiful Mother was graced to experience 78 glorious years on this earth. In those years she was blessed to bring five beautiful lives into this world, Jacqueline, Frankie, Carey, Tracey, and Jerrick. In addition, she shared 37 years of marriage to Mr. Carey E. Smith. Our Heavenly Father graced our mother with the opportunity to see, enjoy, and experience a total of 60 years with those four lives of whom she referred to as her greatest blessings. Now that her journey has reached its end, it has been one filled with pure joy, and never-ending blessings. Our Mother’s journey will continue in the house of Lord as she continues to be a strong tower of love and Blessing from above. Julia is preceded in death by her mother, Jessie Mae Satterwhite; father, Woodroe Wilson Collins; son, Jerrick Smith; two brothers, Walter L. Collins and Wilson Jr. Collins; and granddaughter, Crystal Johnson. Survivors include her two daughters, Jacqueline Johnson and Tracey Smith, both of Gallatin, TN; two sons, Frankie Collins and Carey Collins, both of Chattanooga; one daughter-in-law, Ethel Collins of Chattanooga; two sisters, Mary Jeanette Hill of Roanoke, AL and Diane Toney of Chattanooga; one brother, Jimmy Collins of Roanoke; a devoted cousin/sister, Edna Mae Blakes of Roanoke; six granddaughters, Brandi Collins, Brilexis Collins, Colby Abrams, Makalia Mynatt, Carrigan Collins, and Kala Piper; three grandsons, Marico Collins, Devendra Carlisle, and George McCurty; ten great-grandsons, Tyrik, Jaylen, Jalanden, Joshua, Jacob, Cameron, Jahkari, Prince, Zhyon, and Zaden; five great-granddaughters, Brielle, Mahari, Sonora, Skyler, and Jacionna; ex-husband, Carey E. Smith of Roanoke; a devoted like-a-daughter, Gail Raines of Chattanooga; a host of nieces; nephews; cousins; sisters-in-law; brothers-in-law; and other friends. Julia will lie-in-state on Friday, July 21, 2023, from 1-5:30 p.m. at Taylor Funeral Home. Funeral service will be Sunday, July 23, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (CST.) at First Baptist Church, 549 Riley Street, Roanoke, Alabama with Pastor Ronald B. Cook, Sr. as the eulogist. Burial in Skyview Cemetery.
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