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John Paul Smith

Services for John Paul Smith are 2 p.m., Monday, March 14, 2022, at Riverwood Family, with interment in Clear Branch Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation is from 1 p.m. until the time of the service.

Mr. Smith, 92, was born December 21, 1929, in Lincoln County, to John Emerson and Mamie Stanley Smith. He died March 12, 2022, at Veteran’s Memorial Retirement Home in Oxford, MS.

He was retired from Shippers Express in Jackson, having been employed through the years as a rate and traffic trainee with the I.C. Railroad in New Orleans, Traffic Manager for Higginbotham-Bailey Co. in downtown Dallas, and as a Rate Analyst with Red Ball Motor Freight and Shippers Express in Jackson.

He attended New Sight School as a boy and graduated from Copiah-Lincoln High School in 1948. He served in the United States Navy in Japan and later an icebreaker operating out of Boston. He was honorably discharged in 1952, at San Diego, after serving four- and one-half years in the Navy. He then earned an associate degree from Los Angeles City College in 1954 and attended the University of Southern Mississippi majoring in history. He also attended the evening divisions of Tulane and Southern Methodist Universities while employed in New Orleans and Dallas respectively. While at Southern Methodist he earned a Certificate in Traffic Management.

John Paul was always of a studious nature and a collector of books from youth. He was especially interested in history, geography, literature, and creative writing, winning several awards while in college. He read prodigiously and was keenly interested in everything and everyone around him. He enjoyed his roses and camellias, photography, nature, travel, and his family. His ability as a genealogist was widely recognized, but he was just as content while digging in his flower gardens as when digging through old records in libraries and courthouses. After retirement he compiles some ten books on the early records of the Brookhaven area which are in libraries throughout the country.

Mr. Smith had been a member of Clear Branch Baptist Church since 1943, and had previously served as teacher of the senior men’s Sunday School class. He also wrote the first history of Clear Branch Church for its centennial celebration in 1980. He is also a member of the Mississippi Historical Society and both the Brookhaven and the National Camellia Society.

In 2003, John Paul met the love of his life in the person of Bessie Rand Montgomery. They were married in 2008, when he was 78 years of age, at Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church near Natchez, Bessie’s childhood church. John Paul, a bachelor most of his life, would tell anyone that his happiest days began when he met Bessie.

Preceding him in death were his parents; two sisters, Edwina Smith Crouch (Leory), and Etta Smith Burke (Gerald Burke).

Survivors are his wife, Bessie Smith of Old Red Star; his brother, Russell Smith (Betty Jo) of Austin, TX; two stepdaughters, Linda Wade (Mike) of Collierville, TN, and Betsy Ann Montgomery of Brookhaven, MS.

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3 comments

  • Comment Link Jeanie Friday, 31 March 2023 20:20 posted by Jeanie

    This good man was a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember. We can scarcely afford to lose wonderful souls like Paul. The void he leaves is vast and he will be missed.

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  • Comment Link Lena Riley Tuesday, 15 March 2022 08:41 posted by Lena Riley

    I doubt that John Paul ever realized what an impact he made on the world of genealogy. He was my Mentor and friend...a priceless treasure that I’ll always remember.
    We are grateful to have known him and Bessie.

    Lena and Jack Riley

    Report
  • Comment Link Gail Blackwell Monday, 14 March 2022 21:57 posted by Gail Blackwell

    So sorry to hear of the loss of such a fine man. He lived a long good life. Mr. Cecil is a dear friend of his. I have heard all the stories. We would talk to Mr. John Paul over the phone on a regular basic. At his times of visiting the library he became good friends with Charlotte Martin. So on calling John Paul day we always had to wait on her to come by. We each talked to him and enjoyed sharing the local news from Brookhaven . God Bless you Mr. John Paul. We will miss you.

    Report

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