Winnie Jo Smith, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, went home

to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on August 17, 2026, at the age of 94, surrounded by the love of

her family.

Born August 6, 1932, in Fayette County, Alabama, Winnie was the daughter of Oscar Martin Mills and

Vigie Alma Anthony Mills. The values of faith, family, hard work, and service that shaped her early years

remained the foundation of her life.

On June 11, 1951, Winnie married the love of her life, C.D. Smith. Together they built a life centered on

faith, family, and service. As a military family, they lived in several places throughout the years, and Winnie

loved reminiscing about the adventures, friendships, and memories they made at each duty station. Those

years remained some of her favorite stories to tell. After C.D. retired from the military, they made their

home in Lubbock, Texas, where they spent the rest of their lives together.

Winnie first worked at Good News Bookstore, where a customer encouraged her to take a Monitor

Technician class and certification exam. She accepted the challenge, beginning a career she would faithfully

pursue for decades. She worked as a Monitor Technician at Methodist Hospital, later known as

Covenant Health, until her retirement in 2015. Her compassion, quiet strength, and genuine care for

others left a lasting impression on countless patients and coworkers.

Wherever life took her, Winnie faithfully bloomed where God planted her. Whether as a military

wife, healthcare professional, or the heart of her family, she embraced each season with grace, perseverance,

and a servant's heart.

Her greatest ministry was her family. She treasured every season of family life and loved gathering

everyone together, celebrating birthdays and holidays, sharing meals around her table, and creating

traditions and memories that would carry on through generations.

To know Winnie was to know genuine hospitality, quiet strength, and unwavering faith. Her home was a

place where birthdays were celebrated, Christmas traditions were cherished, family dinners filled the table,

and stories were shared. She enjoyed sewing, genealogy, preserving photographs and family history, and

telling stories about the people and places that shaped her life. She believed families should know where

they came from and worked to ensure those memories were not forgotten.

Her faith in Jesus Christ was the foundation of her life. She faithfully studied God's Word, prayed for

her family, and served others without seeking recognition. Whether encouraging a friend, caring for a

patient, or opening her home to those she loved, Winnie reflected Christ through a lifetime of humble

faithfulness.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, C.D. Smith; her parents, Oscar Martin Mills and

Vigie Alma Anthony Mills; her sisters, Alma Lunell Aldridge, Evelyn Sullivan, and Lorene Vickery;

and her brothers, Uyless Grant "Dude" Mills and Oscar Dean "O.D." Mills.

She is survived by her daughter, Terry Howington; her son, James Smith and wife, Sandy; her

grandchildren, Trisha Rice, Mandi Carney, Marshall Smith, and Taylor Mclean, along with their

spouses; her great-grandchildren, Abbi Rice, Emily Carney, Katie Carney, and Sorren Mclean; her

brother, Ray Lee Mills; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends whose

lives were blessed by knowing her.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on August 22, 2026, at Generations Church, 5201

University Avenue, Lubbock, Texas. A graveside service will immediately follow at Resthaven

Memorial Park.

Winnie's life was a testimony that the greatest legacies are not built through fame or recognition, but

through faithful love, steadfast faith, and a family that always knew they were deeply loved. Her stories,

traditions, prayers, and quiet example will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew her.

She faithfully bloomed where God planted her, and everywhere she went, she left people feeling a little

more loved.