Mary Alice (Hess) Smith, 82, of Topeka, passed away Monday, June 30, 2025, at St. Francis Hospital in Topeka.
She was born July 12, 1942, in rural Burlington, the daughter of Carl and Adaline (Skillman) Hess. She was raised on the family farm northeast of Burlington and attended Vennard and Martindale rural schools before graduating from Burlington High School in 1960. She then attended Allen County Community College in Iola and Emporia State University. During this time she took care of her grandmother and the farm.
On July 10, 1965, she and Chalmers Lavon Smith were married at the Strawn Christian Church. They became the parents of two children.
Following Chalmers’s work on the Union Pacific Railroad they lived in Kansas City, Tonganoxie, Junction City, Manhattan and Topeka, before settling in Tecumseh in July of 1969. They moved to Topeka a couple of years ago.
Mary enjoyed sewing, craft shows, and genealogy. She and Chalmers enjoyed traveling and had traveled to Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. and to Salt Lake City five times on a bus.
She leaves Chalmers Lavon, her husband of nearly 60 years; her children, Corey Smith (Deb), Basehor, and Marla Watson (David), Topeka; five grandchildren, Jesse Smith (Kate), Quincy King, and Ericca Watson (Tyler), Branden Watson (Ashley), and Addie Watson; four great-grandchildren, Trenton, Nolan, Westin, and Raylan; two brothers, Ralph Hess (Norma) and Harold Hess (Judy) of Burlington; several nieces and nephews; many other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 7, at Jones Funeral Home in Burlington. Burial will follow in Glendale Cemetery northeast of Burlington.
The family will meet with friends from 6 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Topeka Community Cat Fix and be made online at https://tccf-tnr.org/ or may be sent in care of Jones Funeral Home, P.O. Box 277, Burlington, KS 66839.
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