In loving memory of
Harriet L. Smith
October 27, 1929 - March 23, 2018
Harriet passed away on Friday, March 23, 2018, after a brief illness. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Ida Snoozy and her husband of 57 years Ralph E. Smith. Survived by her daughter, Diane Smith Davis and son, Scott S. Smith; grandchildren Seth and Jared Davis and Danielle Newsome; great grandchildren Riley and Kaleigh Davis and Jackson Burris, Jr.
Born October 27, 1929, on the family farm in Centerville, South Dakota. She enjoyed school and upon graduation of high school at the age of 17yo, she attended nursing school through Presentation Sisters School of Nursing at McKennon Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota graduating at 20yo. She took her boards 6 months later when she turned 21yo and became a licensed registered nurse. Upon completion of that goal she was invited to travel to Washington State with a fellow nurse and left South Dakota for Seattle.
Her nursing career spanned 50 years in the Seattle area. Starting at Providence Hospital in Seattle where she worked as a scrub nurse in surgery and was the youngest head floor nurse at the time. In 1963, she went to work for Phillips Clinic in Mountlake Terrace and quickly became the head nurse working there over 20+ years and when Virginia Mason Hospital purchased the clinic she stayed on as head nurse and her years with Phillips Clinic were grandfathered into the Virginia Mason system giving her 45 years with them when she retired at the age of 71. She had great plans to enjoy that retirement with her many sewing and needle art pursuits but that was cut short by the development of serious dementia at age 81.
She met the love of her life in 1952 while teaching ballroom dancing in the evenings and they got married, February 28, 1954. They had a long and happy marriage in-which they had 2 children, Diane and Scott, entertained, travelled and enjoyed the finer things in life. Harriet was an accomplished seamstress, also, needle arts, such as knitting and crochet. She was a fantastic baker and candy maker, known for here chiffon cake, multiple types of Christmas cookies and homemade almond roca and caramels among many others delicious treats.
Harriet was known for her generous heart and kind spirit....always laughing, smiling and happy through her life and subsequent throes of dementia. Her Celebration of Life will be held at Blue Boy West Golf and Event Center on Sunday, April 22nd 2018, from 1 to 4 pm. Please join the family to celebrate.
Also, post a comment on Harriet's tribute section. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Alzheimer's Association or the American Heart Association.