Julia Ruth (Collins) Smith

With deepest regret, the Smith and Johnson families, of Gallatin, TN, announce the passing from this life of their beloved mother, grandmother, sister and aunt, Julia Ruth Smith, 78, formerly of Chattanooga, TN.  Ms. Smith transitioned from this life on Sunday, July 16, 2023, at Sumner Regional Medical Center, Gallatin, Tennessee.  Remote arrangements are announced by Taylor Funeral Home of Chattanooga, Inc., and local arrangements are announced by Clark Memorial Funeral Service of Roanoke, Alabama.

In Loving Memory Of Julia Ruth (Collins) Smith

Julia Ruth Smith, 78, formerly of Chattanooga, passed away in the early morning hours on Sunday, July 16, 2023, in Sumner Medical Center in Gallatin, Tennessee.

An angel was released from her flesh and gained her heavenly wings. She ascended from this earth and entered the Kingdom of Heaven to be with our Lord and Savior.

Our mother, Julia Ruth Smith, left her earthly bound dwelling to begin her eternal life in the house of God. Our Mother lived a life full of blessings, love, and laughter which kept her young until the day the Lord called her home.

In her early years, she was a student at Randolph County Training School, in Roanoke, Alabama. As a young adult, she spent many years working as a seamstress at Palm Beach Manufacturing, and Terry Manufacturing Company, in Roanoke, Alabama.

She completed her working years and retired from Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee. As she traveled this life’s path, given to her by our Heavenly Father, she had multiple distinct honors bestowed upon her. These honors included being a loving daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister-in-law. But her most prestigious honor was being a child of GOD and allowing His Will to be done in and throughout her life. Our beautiful Mother was graced to experience 78 glorious years on this earth. In those years she was blessed to bring five beautiful lives into this world, Jacqueline, Frankie, Carey, Tracey, and Jerrick.

In addition, she shared 37 years of marriage with Mr. Carey E. Smith. Our Heavenly Father graced our mother with the opportunity to see, enjoy, and experience a total of 60 years with those four lives whom she referred to as "her greatest blessings".

So, her journey is completed and was filled with pure joy, triumphant, and never-ending blessings. Our Mother’s journey will continue in the house of the Lord as she continues to be a strong tower of love and blessing from above.

Julia is preceded in death by her mother, Jessie Mae Satterwhite; father, Woodroe Wilson Collins; son, Jerrick Smith; two brothers: Walter L. Collins and Wilson Jr. Collins; and a granddaughter, Crystal Johnson.

Survivors include her two daughters, Jacqueline Johnson and Tracey Smith, both of Gallatin, TN; two sons, Frankie Collins and Carey Collins, both of Chattanooga; two sisters, Mary Jeanette Hill of Roanoke, AL and Diane Toney of Chattanooga; one brother, Jimmy Collins (Mary) of Roanoke; a devoted cousin/sister, Edna Mae Blakes of Roanoke; six granddaughters, Brandi Collins, Brilexis Collins, Colby Abrams, Makalia Mynatt, Carrigan Collins, and Kala Piper; three grandsons, Marico Collins, Devendra Carlisle, and George McCurty; ten great-grandsons, Tyrik, Jaylen, Jalanden, Joshua, Jacob, Cameron, Jahkari, Prince, Zhyon, and Zaden; five great-granddaughters, Brielle, Mahari, Sonora, Skyler, and Jacionna; ex-husband, Carey E. Smith of Roanoke; a devoted like-a-daughter, Gayle Raines of Chattanooga; a host of nieces; nephews; cousins; sisters-in-law; brothers-in-law; other relatives and friends.

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