1932
Myra
2009
Myra Jean Smith
April 24, 1932 — May 25, 2009
Jean was born April 24, 1932, in Amarillo to Carl C. Fulton and Modie Bradley Fulton. She was the seventh of their eight children.
She attended Amarillo Public Schools and graduated from Amarillo High School. She married her lifelong partner and best friend of 55 years, E.N. Smith, in 1953.
At the age of 3, she was stricken with infantile paralysis and spent weeks, months and years in treatment for the paralysis that was later diagnosed as polio. Through this struggle she still maintained her responsibilities as a student to graduate with her class in 1950.
While being treated for polio, she received a letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt with an invitation to his polio treatment facility in Warm Springs, Ga. Through her treatment of polio she became an advocate for Easter Seals whose local administrator, Bert McCollough, encouraged and inspired her efforts to help get treatment for other polio victims.
During her junior and high school years, she learned the value of public service. The Amarillo Public School system pushed for the children to sell war bonds during World War II. With the guidance of Felix Phillips, she sold more bonds than any other student in the school district and won the right to ride in a B-17 bomber.
In 1955, she became a founding member of the Amarillo Police Officer's Auxiliary after the tragic death of one of E.N.'s fellow officers. Jean served in every office of the organization for the support of the police officers and the Amarillo community.
In the mid '80s, she became involved in the West Amarillo Rotary Club and along with Dale Elliot devised a plan where polio vaccines could be distributed to Third World countries to help eradicate polio worldwide. This program was later adopted by Rotary International and today is known as Polio Plus. For her efforts she received Rotary's highest honor, the Paul Harris Fellowship.
Jean's next undertaking was attempting to get handicap accessible curbs installed at Llano Cemetery to make it easier for disabled people to attend funerals and visit loved ones' gravesites. It was then that she met Robert and Carrol Forrester who were leading a group of property owners trying to regain control of Llano Cemetery from a dysfunctional administration. Through several years and many legal battles, Jean helped win the fight to ensure the dignity that each family deserves for their deceased loved ones. She got the curbs done, too!
In recent years, Jean helped at Bentley's Auction Service, where she served customers by bidding for them absentee when they were unable to attend. She loved the auctions for the merchandise, but mostly for the friendships she developed. It was during this time that the Bentleys became her adopted family.
Jean was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend who always placed other's needs above her own. Even though she struggled physically for most of her life, she was the strongest person most of us will ever know.
She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Albert "Doc" Fulton, Clifford "Bo" Fulton and Jim Fulton; and three sisters, Dorothy Carson, Mildred Burch and Cathleen Fairchild.
Survivors include her husband, E.N. Smith; two sons, Steve Smith and wife Jancie of China Spring and Ken Smith of Amarillo; three grandsons, Travis, Austin and Dillon Smith, all of China Spring; and a brother, Robert "Bob" Fulton and wife Shirley of Melbourne, Fla.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be to Llano Cemetery Tree Fund, P.O. Box 563, Amarillo, TX 79105.
She attended Amarillo Public Schools and graduated from Amarillo High School. She married her lifelong partner and best friend of 55 years, E.N. Smith, in 1953.
At the age of 3, she was stricken with infantile paralysis and spent weeks, months and years in treatment for the paralysis that was later diagnosed as polio. Through this struggle she still maintained her responsibilities as a student to graduate with her class in 1950.
While being treated for polio, she received a letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt with an invitation to his polio treatment facility in Warm Springs, Ga. Through her treatment of polio she became an advocate for Easter Seals whose local administrator, Bert McCollough, encouraged and inspired her efforts to help get treatment for other polio victims.
During her junior and high school years, she learned the value of public service. The Amarillo Public School system pushed for the children to sell war bonds during World War II. With the guidance of Felix Phillips, she sold more bonds than any other student in the school district and won the right to ride in a B-17 bomber.
In 1955, she became a founding member of the Amarillo Police Officer's Auxiliary after the tragic death of one of E.N.'s fellow officers. Jean served in every office of the organization for the support of the police officers and the Amarillo community.
In the mid '80s, she became involved in the West Amarillo Rotary Club and along with Dale Elliot devised a plan where polio vaccines could be distributed to Third World countries to help eradicate polio worldwide. This program was later adopted by Rotary International and today is known as Polio Plus. For her efforts she received Rotary's highest honor, the Paul Harris Fellowship.
Jean's next undertaking was attempting to get handicap accessible curbs installed at Llano Cemetery to make it easier for disabled people to attend funerals and visit loved ones' gravesites. It was then that she met Robert and Carrol Forrester who were leading a group of property owners trying to regain control of Llano Cemetery from a dysfunctional administration. Through several years and many legal battles, Jean helped win the fight to ensure the dignity that each family deserves for their deceased loved ones. She got the curbs done, too!
In recent years, Jean helped at Bentley's Auction Service, where she served customers by bidding for them absentee when they were unable to attend. She loved the auctions for the merchandise, but mostly for the friendships she developed. It was during this time that the Bentleys became her adopted family.
Jean was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend who always placed other's needs above her own. Even though she struggled physically for most of her life, she was the strongest person most of us will ever know.
She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Albert "Doc" Fulton, Clifford "Bo" Fulton and Jim Fulton; and three sisters, Dorothy Carson, Mildred Burch and Cathleen Fairchild.
Survivors include her husband, E.N. Smith; two sons, Steve Smith and wife Jancie of China Spring and Ken Smith of Amarillo; three grandsons, Travis, Austin and Dillon Smith, all of China Spring; and a brother, Robert "Bob" Fulton and wife Shirley of Melbourne, Fla.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be to Llano Cemetery Tree Fund, P.O. Box 563, Amarillo, TX 79105.
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