A daughter of the late Clarence Watson Smith and Pearl Jewell Allen Smith, she was born August 15, 1942 in White County, Georgia having lived all of her life in Stephens County. She had worked at Wright’s Manufacturing, The Bibb Company and Coats and Clark. She was a member of the Hollywood Church of God. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and loved gardening and flowers. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Merck in 2006 and by three brothers, Watson Smith, Kenneth Smith and T.J. Smith.
Survivors include two daughters and son-in-law, Renea Higgins of Toccoa and Cathy and Tony Westmoreland of Danielsville, Georgia; grandchildren, Chris Higgins, Kenny and Jessica Westmoreland, Kayla and Josh Booker; great-grandchildren, Joeli Higgins, Jax Higgins, Lincoln Booker, Callie Booker, Lincoln Jordan, Kaleigh Jordan and Bo Westmoreland; sisters, Geraldine Simpson, Joyce Bowden and Ann Parker all of Toccoa, Crystal Rafool of Florida and Judy Gregg of Greenville, South Carolina; sister-in-law, Reba Coleman Smith.
Graveside service will be Monday, August 8, 2022, 2 o’clock p.m. at Zebulon Baptist Church Cemetery with The Reverend Ray Bohannon officiating. The following gentlemen will serve as pallbearers, Tony Westmoreland, Chris Higgins, Kenny Westmoreland, Greg Jordan, Josh Booker and Jax Higgins.
The family will be at their respective homes and will receive friends at the Acree-Davis Funeral Home on Sunday, August 7, 2022, 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.acree-davisfh.com.
There will be a Celebration of Life Service at a later date.
Interment will be in the Zebulon Baptist Church Cemetery with the Acree-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory in charge of the arrangements for Mrs. Hazel Virginia Smith Merck.