Kolean Smith Obituary

Graveside services for longtime Mancos resident Kolean "Granny" Smith will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 13 at Cedar Grove Cemetery. Mr. Glen Randol will officiate. A dinner will follow at Mancos Baptist Church.

Visitation has been scheduled for Thursday afternoon from 3 to 5 p.m. at Ertel Memorial Chapel.

Mady Kolean Smith, better known as "Granny," passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012 surrounded by her family. Granny was born on Sept. 5, 1922 in Mize, Miss. She had two sisters, Allie Ray Craft and Sarah McCray, and three brothers, Elson, Amel and Prentice Craft. Granny married James Layvon Smith in Raleigh, Miss. in 1937. He was 16 and she was 15. Together they raised six wonderful children, Vonda May, Susie Noland, Jack Smith, Mary Pickens, Paul Smith, and Judy Reider. They traveled many places until they finally put down roots in Mancos.

Granny was a devout mother and wife, and just celebrated her 60th year as an Eastern Star Member of the Cohay Chapter #187 in Raleigh, Miss. She loved to garden and grew delicious produce and a yard with beautiful flowers. She loved to cook and she was good at it. Her fried chicken, biscuits, fried corn fresh from the cob, corn bread, coconut cake and her sweet tea couldn't be beat. But what she was best at was loving her family; and she had a big one - six children, 20 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren. There was nothing she liked better than to be surrounded by loved ones. And if you weren't family, you became family when you walked through her door and she became your Granny. Her heart was big enough for everyone. She had many years of watching us grow up and start families of our own.

After 69 1/2 years, Granny buried her true love in 2007. Since then her lungs filled with grief and her heart broke without her best friend. But, even so weary, she held on. She couldn't leave her family. In the end her lungs and heart just couldn't do it anymore and she passed just as she would have wanted - with her family around her. Granny left behind a legacy that will last many years, and one that she and Grandad can both be proud of. We are honored and blessed to have known such a wonderful woman.

Kolean is survived by her children, Vonda and Richard May of Farmington, N.M., Susie and Frank Noland of Mancos, Jack and Jeanne Smith of Mancos, Mary and Gilmer Pickens of Mancos, Paul and Rhonda Smith of Mancos and Judy Reider of Hesperus; grandchildren, Debbie and Eddie Watson of Houston, Texas, Lisa and Libert O'Sullivan of Midland, Texas, Rick and Vicki Noland of Mancos, Tammy and Cecil Thurman of Mancos, Randy and Pam Smith of Mancos, Neisha Bradshaw of Mancos, Patty Smith of Cortez, Troy Bradshaw of Phoenix, Ariz., Elecia and Shad Bellmire of Cortez, Lorie and Raymond Barber of Los Lunas, N.M., Ronda and Rodney Cox of Mancos, Brandy and Ben Elliss of Grand Junction, Colo., Kim and Russell Roden of Plano, Texas, Darvie and Travis Grim of Phoenix, Heath and Erin Reider of Rifle, Colo.; and great-grandchildren, Amanda and James Bailey of College Station, Texas, Ashley and Chris Jones of Houston, Damion Markham of Albuquerque, N.M., Kanani O'Sullivan of Midland, Austin Markham of San Antonio, Texas, Kennedee Markham of San Antonio, Rachel Noland and Jesse Noland both of Grand Junction, Hanah Noland, Jake Thurman, Leah Thurman, and Amy and Pat Garcia all of Mancos, Erika Marquez of Denver, Stephanie and Chris Barger, and Emilio Marquez of Mancos, Tanner Bradshaw of Durango, Brianna States of Los Angeles, Mariah Bradshaw of Mancos, Johnny and Rocky Smith of Lawndale, N.C., Liam Cooper of Cortez, Kaylee Bradshaw of Tucson, Leoni and Ryan Bilyeu of Albuquerque, Cody Barber of Los Lunas, Kendra Cox of Canyon, Texas, Kyle Cox of Mancos, Caleb Elliss, Judah Elliss and Asher Elliss all of Grand Junction, Gavin Roden of Plano, Wesley Grim and Skyler Grim of Phoenix, and Carter Reider and Evalee Reider of Rifle; and by great-great-grandchildren, Tyler Johnson, Kayleigh Johnson, Taylor Bailey, Madison Bailey, Ashley Bailey and Hannah Bailey all of College Station, Cade Jones and Reese Jones of Houston, Payton Garcia of Mancos, Rory Smith of Lawndale, and Brady Barger of Mancos.

Kolean was preceded in death by her husband, Smitty Smith; parents, Otho S. Craft and Sarah Ann Craft; siblings, Elson Craft and Amel Craft; and grandchildren, Billy Lyn Markham, Bobby Markham, Lena Michelle Schnaubert, James Owen Noland, Richard Smith and Darin Bradshaw.

In lieu of flowers, all donations can be made to Mancos Ambulance Service, P.O. Box 145, Mancos, CO 81321. Services are under the direction of Ertel Funeral Home. For further information or to send condolences, log on to www.ertelfuneralhome.com and click on the obituary section.