Mary Margaret Smith

Mary Margaret Smith died on June 13, 2026, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, surrounded by her loved ones. Born on January 2, 1932, in Muskogee, Mary Margaret Jones was the eldest of three children of Robert P. Jones and Margaret Cunegunda Wich Jones. Mary’s two brothers were Joseph Patrick and James Robert Jones. In her first five years, Mary and her family lived with her maternal grandparents and aunts in a warm and happy environment. Her family later moved and took in her paternal grandparents, who watched the children when her mother and father went to work. It was during this second phase of her childhood that Mary determined that she wanted to become a wife and mother and take care of her children full time. She attended the Sacred Heart Catholic School from first to ninth grade and then attended public school at Muskogee Central High School. Her first job was making alterations, working with the accomplished tailor Alva Ackley at Kress Department Store in downtown Muskogee. Mary developed a lifelong friendship with the Ackley family as well as a lifelong love of sewing. Later she would sew outfits for all her children as well as Christmas stockings and baby bunny quilts for all new additions to her family. It was in high school where she met her husband, Robert Junie “Chief” Smith, when she was set up with him to double date with her good friend Bonnie Barnett and Chief’s good friend Bob Mullins. The two fell in love and were wed on May 23, 1951, in Muskogee at the newly built Sacred Heart Church. Sacred Heart schoolchildren were among the many guests in attendance. The couple spent their first years of marriage in North Augusta, South Carolina, where Chief had a job working on the Savannah River Plant. After a few years and two children, the couple moved back to Muskogee. Chief got a job with Chief Terrapin building houses in the area, including the home that the Smith family moved into in December 1961. True to her word, Mary stayed home and she and Chief welcomed six more children, a total of eight, into their family. The home that Mary and Chief created was boisterous, warm and inviting. The family welcomed many to visit, share a meal, and even to wait to be picked up after school. When her youngest child started kindergarten, Mary went to work part time for the American Red Cross. She next worked in a law firm with the attorney E.C. Nelson. She later took a position at the Veteran’s Administration in Muskogee in the department of adjudication, where she retired in the 1990s. Mary enjoyed traveling. Among her travels, she and Chief road tripped to Southern California and Washington, DC – both journeys with seven children under the age of 12 in tow – and to visit her son Bobby and his family in Northern Italy, where Bobby was stationed in the U.S. Air Force. A devout Catholic, Mary was a member of St. Joseph’s Parish in Muskogee. She was also keenly interested in history and enjoyed reading about the U.S. Revolutionary and Civil Wars, as well as the lives of U.S. presidents. In her travels, Mary visited the presidential libraries of Adams, both Bushes, Carter, Clinton, Eisenhower, Johnson, Kennedy, and Truman. During her retirement, Mary took in her mother and Aunt Bernadine, acting with her son Patrick as their primary caregivers until their deaths. Also during retirement, Chief was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and Mary took care of him until his death in 2006.A bright spot in her retirement was when Mary adopted her little dog Boo, a miniature schnauzer. Her love for this pet greatly surprised her children who had wanted but never had a dog when they were growing up. In addition to her husband, Mary was preceded in death by daughter Mary Rebecca “Becky” Smith; brother Joseph Patrick Jones; grandson Calvin Gregrey Smith; great-grandson Christian Compton; great- great- grandson Jude Thompson; in-laws Hope and Bill Mayes, Fanny and Harry Livingston, Walter Hickey, Maxine Jones, Olivia Barclay Jones, and Mary Lou and Roy Ziegenfuss; and cousins Sue and Mel Harrison, Mark, Lisa, and Cindy Steussy, Richard Wich and Joyce Harmon, and Roger Wich. She is survived by her brother James R. Jones; her sister-in-law Elizabeth M. Hickey; and her children Margaret Susan “Margie” and Dan Inderrieden; Junie Robert Smith; Patrick David Smith; John Clayton and Terry Smith; Stephen Thomas and Linda Smith; Francis Bruce Smith; Elizabeth Anne Smith; and Tracy Fletcher Smith; grandchildren and spouses are Adrian and Brian Griffith; Nick Inderrieden; Natalie and Mikey Harper; Thomas and Mindy Smith; Victor Smith and Melissa Parra; Susan and Jim Hight; Jeremy and Brittany Travis; Crystal and Chris Compton; Lance and Lori Robertson; Adam and LaShelle Stanley; and Derek and April Stanley; great -grandchildren and spouses, and great-great-grandchildren JoAnne Griffith, Leighanne and Kaden Thompson (Canon and Lainey), Madeline Griffith; Rose Harper; Evelyn, Easton, and Ellis Smith; Parker, Callie, and Rebecca Smith; Kaylee, Kayden, and Bennett Harris; Jimmy, Tyler, and Bailey Hight; Dustin and Aidan Travis; Camden, Eevie, and Miley Compton (children of Christian); Taylor Compton (Grayson); Ethan, Ashlynn, and Addison Compton; Jesse and Oli Stanley (Clara, Luke, Logan, Arabelle); Mason Stanley (Aksley); Ben and Hannah Stanley (Waya); Brooke and Chris Dumas; Caitlyn and Forrest Tye; Caylynn Stanley; and Nevaeh and Bree Stanley (Oaklyn, Marabelle, and Gideon). Mary was known by many names, including Mom, Aunt Mary, Big Sister, Grandma Chief, Granny Mary, and Grandma Pif. She leaves behind several nieces and nephews and many people who considered her a second mother. A wake service will be at 1PM, Tuesday, June 30, 2026 following by a mass funeral service at 2PM at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Father Alessandro Calderoni celebrant.

Mary Margaret Smith

January 2, 1932 - June 13, 2026